Exercise Volfa 21 Concludes in France

Exercise Volfa 21, a major annual combat readiness exercise conducted by the French Air and Space Force, wrapped up in the southwest of France on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021.

More than 50 aircraft from eight Allied nations participated covering the entire spectrum of flight operations with high preparation intensity: air superiority, commando infiltration, close air support to ground forces and ground to air defence. The objective was to build interoperability in a complex mission environment integrating multiple air assets, including fighters, transports, helicopters and drones.

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“NATO Allies and partners hold Air and Space Forces at appropriate levels of readiness to provide 24/7 vigilance across SACEUR’s [NATO’s Supreme Allied Command Europe’s] AOR (Area of Responsibility). Effective coordination between AIRCOM [NATO’s Allied Air Command] and Allies provides NATO with the capability and capacity needed to respond…,” said Major General Phil Stewart, SHAPE [NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe] Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Employment.

“Volfa 21 is…a significant demonstration of the Allies collective commitment to safeguarding NATO airspace, and deterrence and defence,” concluded Stewart.

Photo: French Air and Space Force