AMENDOLA AIR BASE, Italy (AFNS) —
U.S. Airmen and F-16 Preventing Falcons assigned to the 555th Fighter Squadron attended NATO train Falcon Strike 22 in mid November at Amendola Air Base.
Falcon Strike 22 was designed to check and enhance the flexibility of NATO nations to conduct multinational offensive and defensive air operations that combine fourth and fifth-generation airpower.
“Falcon Strike was an ideal alternative to learn the way we are able to higher complement one another airborne,” stated Capt. Kim Auton, 555th FS F-16 pilot.
To apply multigenerational airpower integration, the 555th FS pilots flew F-16s alongside F-35A Lightning IIs from the U.S., Netherlands and Italy. They took on each offensive and defensive roles in mock battles with and towards the F-35s, permitting 555th FS pilots to learn the way greatest to make the most of their fourth-generation plane in accordance with the most recent airpower know-how.
“This was my first time taking part in Falcon Strike and likewise my first time integrating with each Dutch and Italian platforms,” Auton stated. “Working with the F-35s has helped us apply how we are able to higher make the most of our capabilities towards modern-day threats.”
Along with coordinating the strengths of various plane, Falcon Strike additionally provided contributors an opportunity to study concerning the techniques and strategies of allied NATO nations. This included having to work round language barriers between the three taking part nations.
“There are specific techniques we do equally and sure techniques we do utterly totally different primarily based on our plane capabilities,” Auton stated. “It was additionally vital for us to be disciplined and exact on the radio since all platforms had been speaking on one frequency.”
Multinational coaching was not restricted to simply the skies. As pilots from different nations flew collectively above, maintainers labored collectively on the bottom to maintain the plane flying. They performed multinational cross-servicing workout routines, the place maintainers from totally different nations labored collectively on the identical plane to exhibit their methods and requirements.
“I actually loved seeing all of the maintainers from totally different nations working collectively on the plane to verify they took off,” stated Senior Airman Grayson E-book, 555th Fighter Technology Squadron avionics methods journeyman.
This cross-servicing allowed maintainers to not solely study new strategies for sustaining plane, however it additionally helps standardize upkeep procedures throughout allied nations to make sure any maintainer can service any allied plane, no matter their nationality.
Whether or not within the air or on the bottom, Falcon Strike 22 offered a possibility for NATO nations to bridge the hole between nations and airpower generations alike in addition to strengthen NATO alliances.
“We will solely make one another higher and extra deadly when integrating fourth and fifth technology fighters,” Auton stated. “We’re at all times studying and pushing ourselves to get higher.”
