Training for the “heavy” in Orléans
(B2) Half a dozen European aircraft are gathered at Air Base 123 in Orléans-Bricy until May 29 to take part in a training and interoperability exercise: 3 Transall C-160s (2 French and 1 German ) and 3 C-130 (1 Belgian, 1 Spanish, 1 Italian in C-130J version). In all, 140 personnel from the five countries are present. This is the second exercise this year, after Bulgaria (read about the club: Tactical Training Course for European Transport Aviation in Bulgaria).
This gathering - dubbed the EAATTC 15-2 European Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Course - is more than a drill indeed. It aims to provide military transport crews with “ a tactical training course to strengthen interoperability between European air forces explains an air expert. The crews are placed in close to operational conditions with advanced tactical scenarios and air-to-air and ground-to-air threat simulations. At the end of the session, the crews will be given a certificate.
The first week of exercise is devoted to theoretical tactical courses over four half-days, as well as initial formation flights. The complexity of the missions increases progressively during the second week with formation flights at low altitude in tactical environments with threats. A total of nine flights are planned for each crew under EATTC 15-2.
(NGV)
