Fighter jets from both Baltic Air Policing detachments, the Netherlands and Germany, from Poland and from Norway as well as a transport aircraft from Lithuania, a US tanker and NATO AWACS aircraft will be involved in this live flying training event.
The scheduled tri-annual exercise improves NATO airspace surveillance and control, air policing and other air capabilities in the Baltic region, including C2 capabilities.
Fighter jets from both Baltic Air Policing detachments, the Netherlands and Germany, from Poland and from Norway as well as a transport aircraft from Lithuania, a US tanker and NATO AWACS aircraft will be involved in this live flying training event.
Participants will practice air intercepts, air to air refuelling, search and rescue operations as well as practice diversions, the approaches to different Baltic airfields. Furthermore, involved aircraft will also train intercept procedures for COMLOSS situations, a scenario in which a civilian aircraft loses contact with ground controls and requires mid-air identification by Air Policing alert jets.
Overseen by NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre at Uedem, Germany, mission control will be provided by the AWACS and the Karmelava Control and Reporting Centre.
The exercise is organised by the NATO Allied Air Command in Ramstein and NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre at Uedem.
The RAMSTEIN ALLOY exercise series began in 2016 as a sequel of the successful BALTIC REGION TRAINING EVENT (BRTE). It is held three times a year in each of the three Baltic States. As Baltic Air Policing detachments rotate on a four months term, the exercise series provides the opportunity to exercise with various Allies in each edition.
Deployment of the NATO E-3A aircraft equipped with AWACS, also known as NATO “eye in the sky”, to the eastern flank of NATO since 2014 is a strong testament to NATO commitment to the allies.
NATO E-3A Component comprises 16 AWACS aircraft based in Geilenkirchen (Germany). The aircraft most often fly at the altitude of 10 km and are capable of detecting aircraft in flight at the radius of 400 km using Doppler radars, or provide control to their own aircraft.
