05/08/2017: If we had to fight tomorrow in a high intensity conflict the United States Air Force, Royal Air Force, and Armée de l’air would engage together.
Atlantic Trident 17 provides the simulated battleground that prepares our air forces for high intensity combat.
HAMPTON, VA, UNITED STATES:05.04.2017
Video by Senior Airman Enrique Barcelo, Airman 1st Class Amanda Dole and Senior Airman Nicolas Myers
633rd Air Base Wing
05/05/2017: MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Apr. 21, 2017)
A Multi-Utility Tactical Transport is tested on Red Beach on board Camp Pendleton, Calif. during the Advanced Naval Technology Exercise 2017.
ANTX is conference to harness competition among defense firms and government agencies to advance United States Marine Corps amphibious operations capabilities.
CA, UNITED STATES
04.20.2017
Video by Petty Officer 1st Class Martin Wright
Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division
05/02/2017: The ADF supports Gallipoli commemorative services with catafalque and flag parties to provide the ceremonial honours.
The responsibility for ceremonies on the Gallipoli Peninsula rests with Australia’s Federation Guard, who provided a ceremonial contingent for Anzac Day services.
Australian Department of Defence: 4/25/17
05/02/2017: A C-130 with the 152nd Airlift Wing, Nevada Air National Guard, follows a U.S. Forest Service lead plane in the mountains east of Boise, Idaho as part of the a5nual Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System training and certification, April 21, 2017.
More than 400 personnel of four C-130 Guard and Reserve units — from California, Colorado, Nevada and Wyoming, making up the Air Expeditionary Group — are in Boise for the week-long wildfire training and certification sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service.
BOISE, CA, UNITED STATES:04.21.2017
Video by Tech. Sgt. William Moore
146 Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard
05/02/2017: According to a piece published on the Australian Ministry of Defence website:
“On Anzac Day, Australians remember not only the original Anzacs who died on 25 April 1915, but every one of our Australian service men and women who have served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
“Anzac Day is a time to reflect on the contribution made by all of our past and present service men and women who have displayed great courage, discipline and self-sacrifice in choosing a life of service to their country.
“The Anzac spirit lives in the heart and minds of all Australians as we acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of those who contributed so much in shaping the identity of this proud nation.
“Approximately 2350 ADF members are currently deployed on operations, continuing the Anzac spirit whilst serving Australia’s national interests at home and in many countries around the world.”
Credit: Australian Department of Defense:4/27/17
05/02/2017: According to a piece published on the Australian Ministry of Defence website:
“Anzac Day service commemorating the centenary of the battles of Bullecourt. On Anzac Day, we remember not only the original Anzacs who died on 25 April 1915, but every one of our service men and women who have served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
“ANZAC Day is a time to reflect on the contribution made by all of our past and present service men and women who have displayed great courage, discipline and self-sacrifice in choosing a life of service to their country.
“The Anzac spirit lives in the heart and minds of all Australians as we acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of those who contributed so much in shaping the identity of this proud nation.
“Approximately 2350 ADF members are currently deployed on operation, continuing the Anzac spirit whilst serving Australia’s national interests at home and in many countries around the world.”
Australian Department of Defense:26 Apr 2017
05/02/2017: According to a piece published on the Australian Ministry of Defence website:
“On Anzac Day, we remember not only the original Anzacs who died on 25 April 1915, but every one of our service men and women who have served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
“ Anzac Day is a time to reflect on the contribution made by all of our past and present service men and women who have displayed great courage, discipline and self-sacrifice in choosing a life of service to their country.
“The Anzac spirit lives in the heart and minds of all Australians as we acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of those who contributed so much in shaping the identity of this proud nation.
“Approximately 2350 ADF members are currently deployed on operations, continuing the Anzac spirit whilst serving Australia’s national interests at home and in many countries around the world.”
Australian Department of Defence:4/22/17
04/25/2017: General Curtis Scaparrotti, Commander of European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, visited Airmen at RAF Lakenheath in conjunction with a deployment of F-35A Lightning II’s.
He highlighted the the significance of the arrival of F-35s to the modernization of the joint and coalition force operating in defense of the North Atlantic.
What might be missed is that the arrival of the USAF F-35s is not about the US introducing new capabilities and the allies following some years later with similar capabilities.
It is about the concurrent development of coalition capabilities within the European theater and indeed world wide.
Indeed, in the UK case, the RAF and Royal Navy are standing up their first F-35 squadron EARLIER than the USAF at Lakenheath.
The Brits are standing up new infrastructure for the F-35 at Marham PRIOR to the US at RAF Lakenheath.
This is about shaping joint 21st century war fighting capabilities at the same time, and can drive fundamental change in the US forces as they interact with and cross-learn from our F-35 allies as well.
As then Colonel Novotny commented when posted as the 48th Wing Commander at RAF Lakenheath and now General Novotny posted to ACC:
“I see there is great potential for two countries to develop in concert, side-by-side, and to set, set the model for joint operations.
“As we get this right, we can bring in the Danes, the Norwegians and Dutch who are close in geography and the Israelis and Italians as well to shape the evolving joint operational culture and approach.
“Before you know it, you’ve got eight countries flying this airplane seamlessly integrated because of the work that Lakenheath and Marham are doing in the 20 nautical miles radius of the two bases.”
https://sldinfo.com/synergy-and-building-out-extended-nato-defense/
And once in the UK, the two forces will clearly operate forward in the broader defense of Euro-Atlantic interests.
This can already be seen during this deployment to RAF Lakenheath.
Two of the US Air Force’s most advanced warplanes, F-35 stealth fighters, landed for the first time in Estonia on Tuesday for exercises in the small NATO state amid tensions with neighbouring Russia.
The move was seen by Estonian defence officials as a gesture underscoring Washington’s commitment to its NATO partners.
Rhetoric by US President Donald Trump, who called NATO “obsolete” shortly before he took office, deeply rattled the alliance’s easternmost members bordering Russia. Trump has since reversed much of his criticism.
“Using the most modern fighter jets of the United States in Europe guarantees the sovereignty of all NATO member states,” Estonian Defence Minister Margus Tsahkna said quoted by the local Baltic News Service.
“We share the same values and are ready to protect the territory of NATO member states from any kind of possible aggression,” he added, speaking at Estonia’s Amari air base where the jets landed.
F-35s, devised to have radar-evasive abilities, are billed as the most advanced warplanes of their kind.
The US Air Force deployed the multi-role fighters to Europe earlier this month for joint exercises NATO partners.
“I think the role of the training deployments being run by the United States Air force is to demonstrate the unique capabilities of the F-35 as they start to integrate into European operations with all the NATO and European partners,” Air Marshal Stuart Evans, deputy commander of NATO’s Allied Air Command (AIRCOM), told AFP at the Amari base.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-sends-stealth-fighters-russias-backyard-nato-drills-175347073.html
This also says something as well about the maturity of logistics support to the new combat aircraft.
Former Secretary of the USAF and head of AT and L, Michael Wynne commented on this achievement as follows:
“I am really proud of the integrated logistics system for the F-35 which would allow forward deployment to an austere base. for a dispersed aircraft.
“I am proud of both the USAF and Lockheed to come up with the capability to realize that making places not bases a reality.
“Operations in the future with reduced number of fighters will require that we will have global logistical enterprises which can support austere deployment applications.”
UNITED KINGDOM
04.19.2017
Video by Tech. Sgt. Michael Wykes
AFN United Kingdom
Slideshow above shows the arrival of F-35s at RAF Lakenheath. Credit Photos: USAF
F-35s Arrive at RAF Lakenheath: Process Begins of Standing Up a New NATO Capability