Permanent Representatives to NATO from nations across the Alliance recently attended Amari Airbase to witness the ongoing work of the RAF’s 140 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) who are undertaking NATO’s Baltic Air Policing Mission.
The UK’s Permanent Representative (PermRep) to NATO, David Quarrey CMG, discussed various current affairs matters with the EAW command team, including the current intelligence picture across NATO’s Eastern Flank and the upcoming NATO Summit at Vilnius. He also witnessed a training scramble involving IX (B) Sqn Typhoon fighter jets, showcasing the speed at which the RAF can respond to any potential threat.
Wg Cdr MacColl, CO 140 EAW said: "This was an excellent opportunity to showcase the work that we have already achieved here and the brilliant training opportunities that we have planned in the near future. I believe our discussions with Mr Quarrey regarding upcoming ACE exercises have given him an insight into the art of the possible within the wider NATO construct and how the Alliance can effectively deter, disperse and defend against any potential adversary."
Whilst conducting their primary mission on Operation AZOTIZE, RAF personnel have been participating in various high-end exercises designed to replicate a multitude of air-to-air and air-to-ground scenarios. As the operation timeline progresses, personnel will begin to participate in a greater number of exercises designed to test the RAF’s ability to forward deploy from an already deployed location. This is known as the Agile Combat Employment (ACE) model and will provide the UK MOD with greater flexibility, choice and resilience during future operations and periods of crisis.