Airmen assigned to the 100th Air Refueling Wing discuss their emergency evacuation plan prior to participating in a large-force exercise at RAF Mildenhall, U.K., May 27, 2020. (Benjamin Cooper/U.S. Air Force)
Airmen assigned to the 100th Air Refueling Wing discuss their emergency evacuation plan prior to participating in a large-force exercise at RAF Mildenhall, U.K., May 27, 2020. (Benjamin Cooper/U.S. Air Force)
A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker, assigned to the 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, U.K., distributes fuel to two U.S. Air Force F-15 Strike Eagles, assigned to the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, during a large-force exercise over the North Sea, May 27, 2020. (Benjamin Cooper/U.S. Air Force)
A U.S. Air Force F-15 Strike Eagle, assigned to the 48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, U.K., peels away from a KC-135 Stratotanker, assigned to the 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, during a large-force exercise over the North Sea, May 27, 2020. (Benjamin Cooper/U.S. Air Force)
An F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to the 492nd Fighter Squadron takes off from RAF Lakenheath, England, during a large-force exercise with other U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa units, May 27, 2020. (Christopher S. Sparks/U.S. Air Force)
A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon, assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy, prepares to receive fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker, assigned to the 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, U.K., during a large-force exercise over the North Sea, May 27, 2020. (Benjamin Cooper/U.S. Air Force)
A 48th Fighter Wing F-15E Strike Eagle takes off from RAF Lakenheath, England, May 27, 2020. U.S. Air Force F-15s assigned to 48th Fighter Wing, F-16s assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing and 52nd Fighter Wing, and KC-135s tankers assigned to the 100th Air Refueling Wing participated in a large-force exercise within the U.K.'s North Sea airspace. (Christopher S. Sparks/U.S. Air Force)
U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons, assigned to the 480th Fighter Squadron, fly in formation over Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, on their way to participate in a large-force exercise within the U.K.'s North Sea airspace, May 27, 2020. (Melody W. Howley/U.S. Air Force)
U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons, assigned to the 480th Fighter Squadron, taxi at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Aircraft from the squadron participated in a large-force exercise within the United Kingdom's North Sea airspace, May 27, 2020. (Melody W. Howley/U.S. Air Force)
An F-15C Eagle assigned to the 493rd Fighter Squadron takes off from RAF Lakenheath, England, during a large-force exercise with other U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa units, May 27, 2020. (Christopher S. Sparks/U.S. Air Force)
Air Force fighter jets and aerial tankers from across Europe converged over the North Sea for a quickly arranged exercise that simulated a large-scale attack by enemy forces.
The one-day drill Wednesday was hosted by the U.S. Air Force’s 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath in England. It involved 16 allied aircraft trying to intercept 18 adversaries before they reached the English coastline.
It was the first large-force exercise conducted by Air Force units in Europe since the spread of the coronavirus forced cancellations to several planned activities, service officials said.
Complex training events are usually planned months in advance and require considerable support. But U.S. Air Forces in Europe units, and in particular their younger pilots, have started planning events quickly using teleconferencing and other remote means, participants said.
They began planning about 45 days ago and much of the work was finalized Tuesday, a day before the exercise began.
“When I was making the training plan this spring, it was starting to look like we were going to miss out on a lot of training, but that hasn’t been the case at all,” said Maj. Sean Foote, chief of weapons and tactics for the 48th Fighter Squadron, based at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany. “Obviously there are going to be some challenges because we had to reduce some of the flying initially, but it was never to the point where it had an impact on our operations.”
Units from RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall, as well as the 52nd Fighter Wing from Spangdahlem, the 31st Wing from Aviano Air Base, Italy, and NATO at Gailenkirchen Air Base, Germany, participated in the exercise.
The 35 aircraft included F-16 Falcons, F-15 Eagles, KC-135 Stratotankers and a NATO Airborne Warning and Control System, or AWACS jet.
The opposition in the scenario had the same capabilities of real-world potential adversaries, officials said.
“If it was easy and we win every time, then the training’s not going to be good for anybody,” Foote said, adding that Spangdahlem will host a similar exercise in June.
“Our future goal is to eventually get (other) NATO partners involved as well,” he said.
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