It's summer, the European pilots are training (2)
(BRUSSELS2) After air Transport, it is the European helicopters which will undergo joint training this summer, from 9 to 19 July. HOT BLADE 2012 is the name (a little more attractive than EATT, isn't it?) of this exercise, which will take place in Portugal from the Ovar base near Porto. This time, it is not a first, since the program of the European Defense Agency is in its fourth edition after those of Gap in France (2009), Logrono in Spain (2010) and Viterbo in Italy ( 2011).
In addition to Portugal hosting the event and with Luxembourg bringing " considerable financial support (as explained to the European Defense Agency), seven other countries will participate in the exercise: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. The United Kingdom and Sweden will also be present as observers. A total of XNUMX helicopters of different models will be deployed in Ovar.
We can even say that we have a very diversified panoply of existing models. You could even imagine yourself in an air show: Agusta-Westland EH-101 Merlin (Portugal), Agusta Bell 212 (Austria), Agusta A109 (Belgium), CH-53 Sea Stallion (Germany), Chinook CH-47D and Cougar AS -532U2 (Netherlands), NH90 (Finland). On the plane side, it's more "classic": 4 F-16 fighter planes and 2 Casa 295 transport planes. B2 will be there...
NB: In October, it will be the turn of the special forces to train, during the Green Blade exercise... in Belgium! If the event will be more discreet (due to the very nature of the forces deployed), there are also possibilities for visits by the press. So, journalist friends, to your cameras!
See it "trailer" from Exercise HOT BLADE 2012
Read also: It's summer, the European pilots are training (1)
