NATO
Allied Air Command
January 27, 2023
French Rafale joins German Eurofighters for short-term deployment
The French Air and Space force conducted a temporary deployment of one Rafale fighter aircraft from Siauliai Air Base, Lithuania, to join the German fighter detachment at Ämari Air Base, Estonia, to practice dispersed operation drills and aircraft cross-servicing.
Both France and Germany are supporting NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission with their fighters. The French detachment deployed one of their Rafale jets to Ämari where the German detachment provided extensive…combined training in Diverse Aircraft Combat Training and Deployed Operations in Contested Environment.
“We conducted this temporary deployment to ensure our operations continued out of an alternate air base,” said the French Rafale Detachment Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan. “…We demonstrated our interoperability within NATO and within the enhanced Air Policing mission,” he concluded.
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“The German Air Force has considerable experience of conducting combined operations and missions with other Eurofighter Typhoon Nations, like the UK, Italy and Spain, while deployed,” said the German Eurofighter Detachment Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Christoph Hachmeister….
“This is exactly what NATO interoperability is about….”
The training scenario began with a simulated threat at Siauliai Air Base, which required France to relocate their Rafale jets. Meanwhile the limited ground support team from France arrived in place to receive their fighter jet and work with German and Estonian counterparts to turn the jet around for another mission and the return flight to Lithuania.
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