U.S., allied pilots fly in first NATO-organized Alaska training exercise

A German Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon flies complete terrain astir Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson connected July 8, nan first time of nan Arctic Defender 2024 training exercise. (Shelimar Rivera-Rosado, U.S. Air Force/DVIDS)

Alaska-based Air Force units hosted European flyers for training past week. Fighter-jet pilots based astatine Eielson and Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson were joined by counterparts from Germany, France and Spain for nan first-of-its-kind exercise.

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. John Kress, pinch Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232, greets German Minister of Defense Minister Boris Pistorius during a July 8 arena astatine Eielson Air Force Base. (Luc Boatman/U.S. Air Force/DVIDS)

After nan exercise, nan allied pilots gave rave reviews of Alaska’s expansive training airspace.

Arctic Defender 2024 was nan first NATO-led workout to return spot successful nan Interior and Gulf of Alaska training areas known collectively arsenic nan Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex aliases JPARC. The two-week aviation workout brought together pilots and unit from nan U.S. Air Force, Army and Marine Corps, and their German, French and Spanish counterparts.

Germany organized Arctic Defender, and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius commended them for their activity during a sojourn to Eielson earlier this month.

Officials from different NATO nations besides came to nan Alaska to observe and beryllium briefed connected Arctic Defender, which was nan first of respective exercises nan European servicemembers are participating successful complete nan adjacent fewer months successful nan Indo-Pacific region.

U.S. and German servicemembers converse successful beforehand of an craft show during a July 8 open-to-the-public arena astatine Eielson Air Force Base earlier Arctic Defender training sewage nether way. (Kelsea Caballero/U.S. Air Force/DVIDS)

“We’re utilized to work(ing) intimately pinch nan Americans successful Europe, and nan Germans and Spanish arsenic well,” said Lt. Col. Guillame Veuille, a commandant pinch nan French Air Force’s 30th Fighter Squadron.

Veuille said he appreciated nan chance to alert pinch allied pilots astir nan freely skies of nan JPARC.

“The cardinal present is nan size of nan range,” he said successful an question and reply Thursday.

The JPARC includes 65,000 quadrate miles of airspace complete land, and different 45,000 quadrate nautical miles successful and complete nan Gulf of Alaska.

“The fighting area is really bigger than everything we person successful Europe,” he said. “So for us, that is nan main awesome advantage we person here.”

French Air Force Lt. Col. Guillame Veuille, a commandant pinch nan French Air Force’s 30th Fighter Squadron, successful nan cockpit of his Rafale pitchy fighter. (U.S. Air Force/DVIDS)

Veuille says JPARC’s expansive airspace provided nan European pilots nan chance to trim loose and maneuver freely.

“It was really exquisite training,” he said.

The Europeans are already successful Japan for nan adjacent Indo-Pacific training exercise. The region is strategically important for nan U.S. and NATO allies, and Veuille highlights that it’s besides location to Tahiti and French Polynesia.

“We are doing this to show that we are protecting each French territories, moreover acold distant from France,” Veuille said.

After Japan, nan NATO forces will proceed their round-the-world travel pinch exercises successful Australia, nan Philippines and Singapore, past India and nan Middle East earlier returning to Europe.