Germans Bolster Baltic Airspace Defense

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
09/06/2016

09/06/2016: The German Air Force is now contributing to NATO’s assurance measures on its Eastern Border under operation “Persistent Presence”.

The German air force has deployed its Deployable Control & Reporting Centre or DCRC, a Tactical Air Command which helps monitor the Baltic skies, keeping track of flights over the Baltics by logging, identifying and tracking.

A deployable radio system acts as the ears and the voice of the system. All this equipment is stationed at Lielvarde Airbase, with the support of the Latvian military.

Interviews with the German Commander of the deployed unit, as well as technicians and flight controllers involved in the operation are seen in the video.

LIELVARDE, LATVIA
08/24/2016

Courtesy Video:Natochannel

Exercise Northern Lightening: The Perspective of the Maintainers

Posted on | by Caroline Teames

09/06/2016: Exercise Northern Lightning is currently underway at Volk Field, Wisconsin. To date, this is the largest deployment of F-35’s DoD wide.

A crew chief from the 58th Aircraft Maintenance Unit talks about his experience working with the F-35A during this large force exercise.

CAMP DOUGLASS, WI, UNITED STATES

08.29.2016

Video by Staff Sgt. Sarah Trachte: Air Combat Command Public Affairs

NATO Global Hawk

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
08/20/2016

08/20/2016: James E. Edge, NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance Management Agency (NAGSMA), General Manager talks about the coming of the NATO Global Hawk.

“You can imagine a hand full of scenarios from the natural disaster that we suffered. You can go back when the United States had the tsunami for example, that hits Indonesia, that sometimes ago obviously but that type of situation when you need to put an assets that is on rotation for long time because the water is settling, changes are occurring, and you can’t keep a helicopter orbiting for six to eight hours you know, the NATO AGS can stay up for 24 hours at the time and give you real time information of a very broad area.

Obviously crisis situation where you have what appears to be movements from one country into another country illicitly saying that you know there appears to be military activities here, what do NATO commanders and NATO national leaders need to understand about those movements. The imagery that comes off the NATO AGS is truth data it does not lie.

We look to go to what we call the initial operation capability in December 2017 and full operation capability right now is scheduled for 2018. A lot of things have to happen obviously between now and then, getting all the aircrafts there, get the infrastructure built up completely at Sigonella and get SHAPE troops ready to go.”

Credit: NATO:6/28/16

SPMAGTF-CR Training with the French

Posted on | by Caroline Teames

08/20/2016: French Army soldiers with 35th Infantry Regiment and U.S. Marines with Bravo company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Africa execute an insert and extraction exercise hosted by French Army Center for Urban Combat Training instructors aboard Camp Sissonne, France, June 22, 2016.

SPMAGTF-CR-AF Marines trained alongside a company of French Army soldiers, integrating their skills and resources including weaponry and tactics to form an effective battle plan, similar to what they may face in the event of a future crisis.

SISSONNE, FRANCE
06.22.2016
Video by Sgt. Kassie McDole
U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa

NATO AGS Global Hawk Flight

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
08/13/2016

08/13/2016: The first of NATO’s five unmanned air vehicles rolled off the factory line in San Diego on Thursday, 4 June 2015. The Global Hawk Block 40 is part of the Alliance Ground Surveillance Program (AGS).

The NATO-owned and -operated AGS core capability will enable the Alliance to perform persistent surveillance over wide areas from high-altitude long-endurance aircraft in any weather or light condition .

The system will give commanders a comprehensive picture of the situation on the ground.

The AGS system is being acquired by 15 Allies (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United States).

AGS is scheduled to reach initial operational capability by the end of 2017. The air vehicles will be controlled from the main operating centre in Sigonella, Italy.

Credit: NATO:6/28/16

SPMAGTF-CR-AF Marines Conduct a NEO Exercise at French Training Center

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
08/10/2016

08/10/2016: U.S. Marines with Bravo and Charlie company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Africa execute a Non-combatant evacuation operation exercise hosted by French Army Center for Urban Combat Training instructors aboard Camp Sissonne, France, June 21, 2016.

SPMAGTF-CR-AF Marines trained alongside a company of French Army soldiers, integrating their skills and resources to form an effective battle plan, similar to what they may face in the event of a future crisis.

SISSONNE, FRANCE:06.21.2016

Video by Sgt. Kassie McDole:U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa