The Tactical Leadership Programme is the pinnacle of Air operations training, which allows the UK to strengthen training links with allies and develop its operational capability in a multi-national environment.
Located at Los Lanos Air Base in Albacete Spain, 850 personnel from eight NATO nations will be testing each other’s tactical interoperability, through exposure to the tactics and capabilities of other Air Forces.
Front and centre are 29 Squadron Operational Conversion Unit from RAF Coningsby, who are deploying eight Typhoons and their crews to work closely with the participating nations, in an event that has been described as a ‘flying laboratory for tactical employment concepts’. Essentially, the art of moving, turning and situating fighter aircraft in order to obtain an advantage over your adversaries, and be able to combat or launch an attack.
The Tactical Leadership Program offers the most immersive experience and opportunity for our crews to develop their leadership in a live flying scenario. You have to be at the top of your game, but working so closely with other NATO nations makes the training so valuable and demonstrates the extent of our capabilities, now and in the future.
Wing Commander Andrew Shaw
Officer Commanding 29 Squadron
But what makes this Tactical Leadership Programme different to previous years? For the first time, engineers from the Italian Air Force and the RAF will be able to service and maintain each other’s Typhoons and F-35B Lightning aircraft, and this will be put into practice during the Tactical Leadership Programme.
This agreement forms part of a wider NATO Agile Combat Employment initiative to enhance how nations work together, improving response times, reach and agility across the globe.
The ability to interoperate on the ground, cross-servicing aircraft between NATO partners, enhances the agility and speed of response of our Combat Air forces. We are delighted to be working so closely with our Italian partners on Typhoon and F-35B interoperability, laying strong foundations for wider Global Combat Air Programme engineering cooperation.
Air Vice-Marshal Harris
Director Support and Chief Engineer
A noteworthy step forward for the UK's role in furthering NATO interoperability, partnerships and Agile Combat Employment.
