A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor, a British Royal Air Force Typhoon, and a French air force Rafale fly in formation Dec. 7 as part of a the Trilateral Exercise held at Langley Air Force Base, Va. The exercise simulates a contested, degraded and operationally limited environment where U.S. and partner pilots and ground crews can test their readiness. (Photo by Senior Airman Kayla Newman/ Air Force)
Washington Post: What happens when the most advanced fighter jets in the U.S., France and Britain prepare for war
JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. — The rumble started early Tuesday, as one fighter jet after another ascended from a runway here near the Atlantic Ocean and into a bright, clear sky. The mission: Prepare for war against potential adversaries like Russia, which is now patrolling the same skies as the United States over Syria and flexing its muscles in eastern Europe.
The first-ever Trilateral Exercise between the United States, France and Britain has been in planning for several years, but began Dec. 2 over coastal Virginia with a decidedly real-world feel. The U.S Air Force’s F-22 Raptor, the British Royal Air Force Typhoon and the French air force Dassault Rafale have flown dozens of missions each day since the operation started.
Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles and T-38 Talons are flying against them as so-called “Red Air,” providing a notional adversary in training. Tanker planes and an E-3 Sentry, a command-and-control plane commonly known as the AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) provide support.
Update: TriLateralEx 2015 Final Report: F-22s, Typhoons and Rafales prepare for Future Air Warfare (The Aviationist).
WNU Editor: You would think that being member states of NATO there would already be a means to coordinate operations .... but apparently not.
2 comments:
I'm not surprised at all about this and the apparent lack of coordination. Compared with the Russian/Chinese alliance, the Russian/Iranian/Syrian alliance NATO is far less coherent, far less organized, and far less integrated than these. I've understood this for a long time.
Russia is the most powerful fighting force n the planet. It'd be wise for Eastern European nations, Western European nations, and America to understand this and act accordingly.
Unfortunately America with its membership in NATO could find itself pulled into a conflict in either Eastern or Western Europe involving Russia. If this happens, it is going to be America and not Western Europe that is going to bear the brunt of a Russian military response.
EU nations view America as a strategic competitor and are not good allies. As for the Eastern European nations, a similar dynamic is in effect. None of these nations are good allies. should not be trusted, and their actions risk war with the most powerful nation on earth in Russia.
America needs to completely reevaluate its national defense. Good places to start would be by withdrawing from NATI forthwith and studying the Russian military, its weapons systems, its tactics, and its strategies.
After all if one wants to be the best it helps to study the best. While America is a different country than Russia with a radically different culture than Russia and much of what Russia does cannot be integrated into America's military posture, some thing probably can and, as such, to study them with idea of implanting what we can would be an excellent place to start.
I'd also suggest America and its leadership announce and follow up with actions that it vigorously opposes any and all sanctions against Russia and will act with all of its might to oppose sanctions against Russia and the same thing applies to Ukraine. America will support Russia's position in Eastern Ukraine.
While I would expect the EU nations to likely continue trying to impose sanctions against Russia along with other polices against Russia currently in effect, at least such actions by America would likely lessen tensions between us and Russia.
Russia is NOT a global suoerpower and is a regional suoerpower at best.
They have not been anything near the ultimate military force on the pkanet since the demise of the Soviet union.
Without aircraft carrier battle groups you are a global nothing.
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