RAMSTEIN FLAG 2025 brought together aircraft from more than 15 NATO nations operating from twelve air bases across Europe including RAF Fairford, reports our Aviation Correspondent Jeremy Flack.
~
Nearly 100 aircraft in a variety of forms including F-18 Hornets, F-35 Lightnings and Typhoons from 18 Allied Nations gathered for Exercise RAMSTEIN FLAG 2025 (RAFL25), held mainly at Leeuwarden Air Base in The Netherlands but RAF Fairford also played a significant role.
At the Gloucestershire RAF base, 24th March initially saw the arrival of a Romanian C-130B Hercules (6166) followed by a Turkish A400M (18-0093) the following day. These aircraft were the precursor to the arrival of four Turkish F-16C (91-0008, 91-0018, 92-0019 and 92-0021) and an F-16D (89-0043). Just 20 minutes later they were joined by three F-16As of the Romanian Air Force, plus 20 minutes later still by a KC-135R Stratotanker (57-2609). Further support arrived in the form of the return of the Turkish A400M and a C-27J Spartan (2703) from the Romanian Air Force.
RAF Fairford had only just finished its normal role of operating as a bomber base for US Air Force Bomber Task Force 25-2. They had hosted the Minot Air Force Base B-52 bombers from 60th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron – the last of which departed on 17th March. The arrival of the Romanian Hercules coincided with the departure of the last of the Boeing 747s that were supporting the B-52s.
Fairford has been a regular deployment base for USAF bombers, with visits by B-1s, B-2s and B-52s. However, it is a number of years since the airfield has housed a fighter deployment; 2008 being the last that I recall with the deployment of Swedish Air Force Gripens. NATO regulations now require that an Aircraft Arresting System (AAS) is installed for fighter operations to occur at an installation. As a consequence the Ramstein-based 435 CTS Depot and Transportation Flight led the task of installing a $3 million Mobile Aircraft Arresting System (MAAS) prior to the exercise commencing. They worked alongside and received necessary support from Fairford’s 420th ABS, the 100th Civil Engineer Squadron (CES) from Mildenhall, and the 48th Civil Engineer Squadron (CES) from Lakenheath. The installation of the MAAS was simplified by their being anchored to pre-existing concrete pads so that they could then be proof-loaded and certified ready for the fighters, assisted by an F-15 from Lakenheath.
The Romanian and Turkish F-16s flew every day of the exercise together with the supporting KC-135R, much to the pleasure of the gathered crowds; the good weather providing an excellent spectacle – I do like this global warming! Unfortunately this created a significant heat haze which caused some problems for photography. With the exercise nearly over the support transports began to return to Fairford on 10th April, in the form of two Turkish A400Ms (18-0093 and 14-0013). These were followed by a Romanian C-130H Hercules (9143) and a Romanian C-27J Spartan (2705) on the 11th.
Further RAMSTEIN FLAG 25 missions were flown from the UK by six Spanish AF F-18 Hornets out of RAF Marham plus RAF Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth. These were supported by Voyager tankers from RAF Brize Norton. The theme of this RAMSTEIN FLAG exercise was a simulated Article 5 scenario in which one country within NATO had been attacked and this was the result of the collective response. What followed was an intensive advanced training exercise with priorities set for exercising Counter Anti-Access / Area Denial (C-A2AD), Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD), Agile Combat Employment (ACE), together with seamless information sharing across Allied Nations. The result was this multinational force able to rehearse the co-ordinated collective mission planning and conduct the missions efficiently and safely. Some firsts were the Turkish KC-135 refuelling Dutch Air Force F-35s and ground crew servicing another air force’s aircraft before takeoff and after landing.
RAMSTEIN FLAG 2025 was an intense exercise with excellent international co-operation enabling a stronger and closer multinational NATO force, ready and capable of reacting to all threats in this increasingly insecure world. Meanwhile, the U-2S (80-096) of 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, 9th RW, flew its virtually daily missions to monitor the real world throughout the exercise!
[unless noted images © Jeremy Flack: API Photo Library]
~
