Maple Flag 47 Exercise (2)

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
06/03/2014

06/03/2014: Aircrews from the 94th Airlft Wing, 934th Airlift Wing, 302nd Airlift Wing and the 914th Airlift Wing attend a mass pre-flight briefing detailing the day’s mission at Edmonton International Airport, Alberta, Canada.

Seven C-130 Hercules prepare to take off from Edmonton International Airport and fly to Cold Lake Air Weapons Range as part of Maple Flag 47.

Maple Flag is an international exercise designed to enhance the interoperability of aircrews, maintainers and support specialists in a simulated combat environment.

According to a piece published on Global Aviation Report prior to the exercise commencing:

Exercise Maple Flag 47 will bring together 650 Canadian Armed Forces personnel and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) aircraft, as well as personnel from allied partner countries, to engage in air and ground combat training.

The exercise prepares participants for global operations, enables joint operations training within the Canadian Armed Forces, and fosters multi-national coordination and cooperation.

This year’s Maple Flag will be held at 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alberta, over a single period of two and a half weeks: May 16 to June 2, 2014. The schedule will focus primarily on support to Exercise Wing Warrior at 4 Wing and Exercise Maple Resolve, which will take place in Wainwright, Alberta.

Maple Flag and Wing Warrior also support the training and confirmation for Air Task Force 1401 – an RCAF task force that will be on high readiness following the completion of the exercise. This is part of the RCAF’s new managed readiness plan to ensure its ability to respond rapidly around the world.

“In today’s security environment, high readiness is fundamental to peace and stability, which makes training of this kind essential,” said Major-General Pierre St-Amand, the commander of 1 Canadian Division and the Canadian NORAD Region, which are both headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

“We always look to maximize international participation in Maple Flag, but we remain committed to ensuring this exercise offers the fullest training value with an increased focus on joint operations with the Canadian Army.”

Maple Flag will include activities in areas such as command and control; air-to-air and air-to-surface operations; air-to-air refuelling; airborne early warning and control; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; tactical airlift; and tactical aviation.

RCAF aircraft currently confirmed for participation in Maple Flag include CH-146 Griffon tactical helicopters, CF-18 Hornet fighter aircraft, CC-130J Hercules transport aircraft, CC-130T Hercules and CC-150T Polaris air-to-air refuelling aircraft, CP-140 Aurora long-range patrol aircraft and CC-138 Twin Otter transport aircraft.

http://globalaviationreport.com/2014/05/09/canadian-exercise-maple-flag-47-set-to-begin/

For an article, which looks at the role of exercises in training 21st century forces, see the following:

http://www.frontline-defence.com/publications/14DEF3_3D/index.html

Video Credit: 4th Combat Camera Squadron :5/26/14

 

 

 

 

Maple Flag 47 Exercise

Posted on | by Caroline Teames

06/03/2014: Aircrews from the 94th Airlift Wing, 934th Airlift Wing, 302nd Airlift Wing and the 914th Airlift Wing attend a mass pre-flight briefing detailing the day’s mission at Edmonton International Airport, Alberta, Canada.

Seven C-130 Hercules prepare to take off from Edmonton International Airport and fly to Cold Lake Air Weapons Range as part of Maple Flag 47. Maple Flag is an international exercise designed to enhance the interoperability of aircrews, maintainers and support specialists in a simulated combat environment.

Credit:4th Combat Camera Squadron:5/26/14

According to a Canadian Air Force Release prior to the event:

Exercise Maple Flag 47 will bring together 650 Canadian Armed Forces personnel and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) aircraft, as well as personnel from allied partner countries, to engage in air and ground combat training.

The exercise prepares participants for global operations, enables joint operations training within the Canadian Armed Forces, and fosters multi-national coordination and cooperation.

This year’s Maple Flag will be held at 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alberta, over a single period of two and a half weeks: May 16 to June 2, 2014. The schedule will focus primarily on support to Exercise Wing Warrior at 4 Wing and Exercise Maple Resolve, which will take place in Wainwright, Alberta. 

Maple Flag and Wing Warrior also support the training and confirmation for Air Task Force 1401 – an RCAF task force that will be on high readiness following the completion of the exercise. This is part of the RCAF’s new managed readiness plan to ensure its ability to respond rapidly around the world.

“In today’s security environment, high readiness is fundamental to peace and stability, which makes training of this kind essential,” said Major-General Pierre St-Amand, the commander of 1 Canadian Division and the Canadian NORAD Region, which are both headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. 

“We always look to maximize international participation in Maple Flag, but we remain committed to ensuring this exercise offers the fullest training value with an increased focus on joint operations with the Canadian Army.”

Maple Flag will include activities in areas such as command and control; air-to-air and air-to-surface operations; air-to-air refuelling; airborne early warning and control; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; tactical airlift; and tactical aviation.

RCAF aircraft currently confirmed for participation in Maple Flag include CH-146 Griffon tactical helicopters, CF-18 Hornet fighter aircraft, CC-130J Hercules transport aircraft, CC-130T Hercules and CC-150T Polaris air-to-air refuelling aircraft, CP-140 Aurora long-range patrol aircraft and CC-138 Twin Otter transport aircraft.

http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/article-template-standard.page?doc=exercise-maple-flag-47-will-focus-on-integrated-and-joint-operations/huwd2oxa

For an article, which looks at the role of exercises in training 21st century forces, see the following:

http://www.frontline-defence.com/publications/14DEF3_3D/index.html

 

 

 

 

Unified Vision 2014

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
06/01/2014

05/31/2014: Unified Vision 2014 (UV14) is the biggest Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) trial NATO has ever staged.

A multitude of ground sensors, zeppelins, jammer aircraft and land ISR assets are deployed during this trial.

 Credit: NATOCHANNEL:5/27/14

According to a NATO piece published on May 26, 2014 and entitled “More than Information Gathering:”

“Sir, hundreds of refugees are crossing the border now…” All of a sudden, the line goes dead. You switch your attention to reports coming in on terrorist activity spreading along the coast, but no coordinates are given. What do you do?

You are a NATO commander. Floods of refugees are creating a humanitarian crisis and, in a neighbouring country, terrorists are fuelling tension in a potentially explosive situation that could destabilise the region. Unidentified troops have been reported by refugees and you are concerned about their intentions. 

All the components of a conflict are there. And you must decide what to do. Right now.

In the heat of the action, getting the right information to the right person at the right time can be a life and death issue. But that is a complex process. It means being able to piece together information from different platforms and analysing it to give commanders the edge, in the field, to make critical decisions while protecting their troops and civilians. 

Unified Vision 2014

Luckily, this is not a real-life situation, but it could be. It is NATO’s biggest ever trial of Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (JISR), comprising satellites, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, naval vessels, ground sensors and human intelligence from 18 NATO Allies. 

Unified Vision 2014 (UV14) is taking place in Norway from 18-28 May and aims to test NATO’s ability to gather information and fuse intelligence from multiple sources – from space, in the air, on land and at sea – at different stages of a crisis. In the scenario, the crisis is initially local and then it gradually escalates into a full-blown international conflict. All the while, very different ISR capabilities are expected to perform in testing situations, stretching their ability to function properly in complex environments.

“This is the most ambitious trial we have ever done, bringing together the largest array of surveillance technology, equipment and personnel over a 10-day period. Instead of conducting our interoperability assessment in a lab, we have created a demanding operational environment to test the ability of our sensors, architecture and procedures to deliver intelligence capable of driving operations in the field. 

Many of these capabilities will be resident for the 2016 NATO Response Force and will facilitate the Alliance’s ability to quickly react to contingencies”, explained U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Matt Biewer, UV14 Trial Manager.

Capabilities put to the test

After the shortfalls observed during the NATO-led Operation Unified Protector in Libya in 2011, improving NATO’s ability to coordinate and deploy Allied ISR capability is crucial. In February 2014, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen stated,

“Through our operations, including Libya and Afghanistan, we have identified the areas where our capabilities do not go far enough or too few countries have them. Libya revealed shortfalls in precision-guided munitions; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets; and experts trained to interpret the data they provide.  Work has been ongoing, but the economic crisis has not made it any easier. So we need to take a long hard look at the most effective way to work together to close those gaps.”

UV14 is testing doctrine, organisation, training, materiel, leadership, personnel, facilities and interoperability, with the aim of helping NATO to quickly process, exploit and disseminate information to commanders in action. Assets being used include equipment such as the Predator, Global Hawk, Hunter, Raven, Puma, NATO’s AWACS aircraft, a naval corvette and raccoon reconnaissance vehicles.

Techniques are also being introduced to provide even more intelligence such as identity intelligence – i.e. using special techniques to find terrorists in dense areas.

UV14 – a stepping stone to a fully functioning JISR capability.

The trial will allow analysts to “fuse” ISR products derived from all of these different sources, be they imagery, communications, human or even open source, which are provided from across the 18 participating countries.

Allies are also developing their ISR assets and, through UV14, are working side by side to test their equipment and their ability to work together. Rather than inundating commanders with information from different sources, the aim is to provide them with a common picture derived from multinational assets so that they can make informed decisions at any one time.

The ultimate objective of the trial is to suggest improvements that will bring NATO closer to increasing the readiness of the NATO Response Force (NRF) 2016 and to delivering a Joint ISR Initial Operational Capability, which it aims to achieve end 2016.

A few facts and figures

  •  UV14 is being held at Ørland Main Air Station, Norway, where Unified Vision 2012 was also hosted.
  •  There are approximately 2000 participants from 18 member countries: Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.
  •  Australia is also participating as part of the Trial’s Assessment Team, while both Sweden and Finland are contributing observers.

Other participants include: Battlefield Information Collection and Exploitation Systems (BICES) – providing trial network infrastructure; Combined Federated Battle Laboratories Network (CFBLNet) – providing trial network infrastructure; Multi-Intelligence All-source Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Interoperability Coalition 2 (MAJIIC2) – providing JISR capability packages and JISR Tactics, Techniques and Procedures.

http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/news_110351.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aerial Delivery Training Mission

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
05/30/2014

05/30/2014: Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 163 (Reinforced) and Combat Logistics Battalion 11 (CLB-11), 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, conduct an aerial delivery exercise during Realist Urban Training Marine Expeditionary Unit Exercise (RUTMEUEX) 14-1 at Fort Hunter Liggett, Calif., March 21, 2014.

 Credit:11th Marine Expeditionary Unit:3/21/14

Exercise Cold Response

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
05/25/2014

05/24/2014: Shots from roadside staging, Multinational Brigade HQ, and flightline ops, at Harstad/Narvik Airport near Evenes, Norway.

Marines from the 2nd Marine Division along with integrated Norwegian military arrive to convoy equipment and vehicles to the training area for Exercise Cold Response.

 Credit:American Forces Network Ramstein-Regional News Bureau:3/12/14

Global Hawk Comes to Japan for Operations

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
05/24/2014

05/24/2014: Japan is a key ally for the U.S. in dealing with Pacific defense.

In the meetings with Secretary of Defense Hagel in the Fall of 2013, the Japanese highlighted that new F-35s, P-8 maritime patrol aircraft and Global Hawk long-range reconnaissance UAVs were to be deployed to Japan. 

Indeed, by 2020 it is planned to have 5 squadrons of F-35s deployed to Japan, two with the USMC, two with the USAF and one by the Japanese Air Force.

Now the first-of those RQ-4 Global Hawk has arrived at Misawa Air Base on May 24, 2014.

The Global Hawk was part of the US response to aid the Japanese in the 2011 Tsunami.

The U.S. also deployed Global Hawk unmanned aerial drones, which flew over the plant to monitor the reactors and collect data for the Japanese government. 

Credit:35 Fighter Wing Public Affairs:5/24/14

According to a Japan Times story published on May 24, 2014:

A U.S. Global Hawk surveillance drone arrived Saturday morning at Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture, marking the first time the drone has been deployed in Japan.

The Global Hawk is 14.5 meters long and has a wingspan of about 40 meters. Capable of conducting extended surveillance at altitudes above 15,000 meters.

It is one of a pair of Guam-based Global Hawks to be deployed at the Misawa base from May to October.

The second is expected to arrive Wednesday.

The two reconnaissance aircraft will likely start operating in the Asia-Pacific region in early June.

For a look at how the Japanese perspective on defense is in transition, including an official Japanese MOD video see the following:

http://sldinfo.wpstage.net/the-re-set-of-pacific-defense-australia-and-japan-weigh-in/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reinforcing Baltic Defense

Posted on | by Caroline Teames

05/24/2014: In light of the crisis in Ukraine, NATO is boosting its presence in Alliance member state waters in Eastern Europe.

NATOChannel is on board HNoMS Valkyrien, the current flagship of one of NATO’s four naval fleets, the Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group ONE (SNMCMG1), made up of five ships. During their deployment, the ships – from Belgium, Estonia, the Netherlands and Norway – will carry out manoeuvres to reinforce their capacity to work together and guarantee the security of Baltic waters.

Footage contains an interview with Lt Sgt Gert Soomsalu, as well as vox pops recorded in the military port of Świnoujście, in Poland.

Four Allied nations deploy five ships to reinforce Baltic waters in response to maneuvers by Russian troops in the areas bordering Allied countries. A naval operation is prepared to react efficiently in potential moments of crisis.

We will publish several articles as well based on interviews held in Copenhagen, Denmark with regard to the Nordics and reinforcing Baltic defense in the next few days.

Credit: NATOCHANNEL: 5/22/14

With regard to Denmark and Baltic security, the Danes, although a small country, have made Baltic defense a key element in their defense policy.

According to the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

Denmark has had a comprehensive defense and security cooperation with the three Baltic countries since their independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and the Soviet troops’ final exit from the Baltic territory in 1994.

Initially the objective was to support the Baltic countries in building national structures and institutions in order to ensure their ability to self-defense and policing.

Later the objective was to ally Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania into NATO. In the military field, it was initially Partnership for Peace (PfP) cooperation, that formed the framework, but later the so-called Membership Action Plans were launched, in which the conditions for NATO membership were described in detail. This development was closely followed, and in 2004 the three Baltic States joined NATO.

Denmark actively contributed to this success with massive support in the form of material donations as well as education, training and counseling.

It was – and it still is – in Danish interest that the three Baltic States had such a close defence and security cooperation as possible, which is why in particular such projects were supported.

The first joint Baltic project was the Baltic Battalion BALTBAT, a Baltic country military unit of approx. 500 men trained for deployment in peacekeeping operations. The project was started in 1994-95 and was supported by a large number of NATO countries led by Denmark.

The Joint Baltic Fleet Unit (BALTRON) was the next common Baltic project that followed – this time under German leadership and with the support of virtually the same circuit as BALTBAT. The idea was that the Baltic countries should fulfill tasks as mine sweeping and rescue service in the Baltic Sea. Denmark had a significant part in this project with material donations as well as education and training.

This was followed by BALTNET initiative of a common Baltic air monitoring system for civil and military use. The idea grew out of the fact that Americans had started a “Regional Air Space Initiative”, which offered to help the Central and Eastern European countries to build a system where one could ensure better air traffic control (both civilian and military) and thereby improve road safety.

In the autumn of 1995 Norway accepted the leadership of this project, which was built on the model of BALTBAT and BALTRON.
Besides involvement in concept development, Denmark has also contributed with mainly radio equipment and training. 

The last in the series of joint Baltic projects is Baltic Defence College (BALTDEFCOL) – a joint Baltic military educational institution for academic programmes, located in Estonia’s second largest city, Tartu.

The project was launched in the summer 1998 under Swedish management, but with extensive Danish support.  The first school principal was Danish.
BALTDEFCOL had – and still has – special Danish attention, because this institution is a prerequisite for continued development of competent officers and officer corps.

Along with the Baltic countries’ accession to NATO and the EU and Denmark’s changing focus in security policy the cooperation has quite naturally changed character and is in most areas “normalized”.

There are still very close links between the Baltic countries and Denmark, but the defence and security policy cooperation is completed on a higher level in NATO and Nordic-Baltic auspices.

The bilateral cooperation today includes support for the establishment of a country military unit of the size of a brigade (about 5,000 men) in each of the three Baltic countries, which BALTDEFCOL constantly supports.

Finally Denmark continuously supports the three Baltic countries with education and training assisted by a Danish defence attaché, which from its location at the embassy in Vilnius is accredited to all three countries.