Over 50 aircraft from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden and other allied and partner countries participated in NATO’s large-scale, multi-domain vigilance activity in Norway.
Conducted on June 2, the vigilance activity concentrated on merging command & control (C2) of the joint military in the North of Supreme Allied Commander Europe’s (SACEUR) Area of Responsibility (AoR).
The entire activity was led by Norway and involved the participation of hearly 130 participants from NATO allies and partner nations.
Participating aircraft include tankers, fighters, C-130 Hercules, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft.
The aircraft demonstrated the Nato’s ability to battle air power at the range.
Meanwhile, Royal Norwegian Air Force Air Chief major general Rolf Folland added, “The exercise focuses on the synchronisation of the air, sea & land domains to better Alliance cohesion, interoperability, and the ability to cooperate with our partners.”
As a part of the vigilance activity, the participants practised tactical command & control (C2), performed simulated live joint fires & operated in a challenging environment with electronic warfare (EW) dangers.
The exercise also included air-to-air refuelling (AAR) for the associated aircrew, as many aircraft have taken flight from their home bases.
Moreover, the US ground missile launchers & nautical vessels were played notionally for advanced training techniques.
The activity permitted participating nations to bolster relationships with each other.
Nato’s vigilance activities aim to enhance the overall cohesion of the allied & partner nations.
At the same time, Swedish Air Force Chief of Operations Colonel Peter Greenberg said: “The activity was a fantastic chance to train combined air operations and a clear confirmation that the Swedish Air Force is fully interoperable and ready to integrate into the Nato air domain.”
