Ramstein Flag 2024
Report and photos by Peter van den Berg
November 20, 2024
“Ramstein Flag is a crucial investment in NATO’s future readiness. The Alliance’s ability to adapt, innovate and remain united is more important than ever’’.
NATO’s Allied Air Command Ramstein Flag 2024 exercise took place from Sept. 30 to Oct. 11 2024 at Andravida Air Base, Greece. It was the first ‘’Flag-event’’ for NATO’s Allied Air Command, performed together with the Hellenic Air Force. Its primary objective: ‘’to strengthen cooperation, interoperability and integration among Allied forces. Train as you fight.’’
Over 140 allied fighter and support aircraft participated in RAFL24 in which over 1100 sorties have been flown. They were joined by land, sea, and cyber assets to meet training objectives such as finding and eliminating simulated targets, demonstrating integrated air and missile defense capabilities. Some participants flew in directly from their home bases across Europe to join the exercise. A total of 12 allied nations were involved in RAFL24 with fighters, support aircraft, surface-based air and missile defense units, and operational/observer/advisory personnel.
“Over the last two weeks, we’ve had over 100 aircraft flying from eleven different locations; over 1100 sorties that have been flown!’’ –General James Hecker, Commander of Allied Air Command.
The NATO-members involved were Canada, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Participating aircraft included French Air and Space Force Dassault Rafales, Swedish Air Force and Hungarian Air Force Saab JAS 39 Gripens, Hellenic Air Force Dassault Mirage 2000s, Hellenic Air Force and Portuguese Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons, US Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIs and General Atomics MQ-9 Reapers, Italian Air Force Eurofighter F-2000s, Spanish Air and Space Force EF2000s, and a Royal Air Force Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint.
Transport aircraft involved included Royal Canadian Air Force Airbus CC-330 Husky, Polish Air Force Airbus C295, Portuguese Air Force Embraer KC-390 and Swedish Air Force Lockheed C-130H Hercules.
“This exercise has been a very exciting moment for all participants,” said Hellenic air force Col. Vasileious “Bill” Panagoulias, NATO AIRCOM officer with primary responsibility. “We have been able to provide an environment for the Alliance to integrate and test our collective capabilities.”
Missions
Missions included both day and night sorties from a number of airbases in Greece’s West Peloponnese with Andravida acting as the primary air base. Forces from the Hellenic Army, Navy, and Special Warfare Command played a key role in providing complex and realistic scenarios.
Blue team was stationed at Andravida and the Red team at different bases such as Araxos. This was done tactically as to not give away any intelligence on the type and amount of opponents that were to be expected on the daily missions.
NATO AWACS aircraft provided Command and Control during the exercise with crews from 17 NATO nations. The aircraft, stationed at Geilenkirchen, Germany, operated out of their Forward Operating Base at Aktion/Preveza Air Base in the northwest of Greece.
United States European & Africa Command
The USAF participated in the exercise, focused on anti-access & area denial (A2/AD), with their F-35As of the 48th Fighter Wing based at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom. They were joined by KC-135R Stratotankers of the 100th Air Refueling Wing based at RAF Mildenhall.
“Ramstein Flag 2024 marked the beginning of USAFE-AFAFRICA and AIRCOM training the way we fight,” said Gen. James Hecker, USAFE-AFAFRICA and AIRCOM commander. “Over the course of roughly 1100 flight sorties, we have successfully executed NATO’s first live exercise focusing on C-A2AD, accomplished fourth- and fifth-generation integration, and demonstrated our ability to work as an alliance to deter our adversaries.”
Deployable Air Command and Control Centre
Ramstein Flag is the first time that NATO’s Air Forces have come together to take part in a new series of air exercise.
RAFL24 was supported by the Deployable Air Control Centre, Recognized Air Picture Production Centre and Sensor Fusion Post (DARS). The system enables air surveillance and control capability of air missions, including surface-to-air missiles, air traffic management and control, area surveillance, production of a recognized air picture and other tactical control functions. RAFL24 provided another opportunity to exercises its proficiency in rapidly deploying and supporting NATO Air Command and Control functions.
“Ramstein Flag is a crucial investment in NATO’s future readiness. The Alliance’s ability to adapt, innovate and remain united is more important than ever. Ramstein Flag 2024 has shown that we are ready to face these challenges, prepared to operate in contested and complex environments and capable of maintaining the peace and security of the Euro Atlantic region,” – Lieutenant General Dimosthenis Grigoriadis, Chief of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff.
2025 Edition
With an ever growing need to train NATO Air Forces in realistic combat situations, the next iteration; RAFL25, is set to take place in the spring of next year. Latest information is that the Netherlands might be one of the host-country with Leeuwarden AB being involved as the main stage.
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