The North Yorkshire Station provided the platform from which Exercise tasks co-ordinated assets including Chinooks from RAF Odiham, Merlins from the Commando Helicopter Force, Royal Navy Wildcats and Army Air Corps Apaches.
Scenarios were complex and each element was crucial to mission success – from the US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles providing Rescue Mission Command, to Chinooks engaging enemy surface to air missiles, and RAF Regiment Precision Strike Teams who deployed from the aircraft to safely recover sss or colleagues caught behind enemy lines.
Overseeing the RAF Leeming element was Squadron Leader John Mcfadden, Officer Commanding 92 Squadron based at RAF Waddington. He said: “I have been coordinating the Air/Land integration part of the exercise here at Leeming. I head up the Excon [Exercise Control] team that enables the delivery of the exercise to test participants. We try to provide an immersive training environment for international partners and participants so that they take part in the serials, they receive the most training possible with a realistic opposition.”
Faced with challenging and multi-dimensional roles, ground and air elements coordinated to provide an impressive performance in various locations and rapidly changing weather conditions. Sqn Ldr McFadden said:
“It’s so important that we practice operating from dispersed locations. In an operational situation there’s no way we would all be sitting face to face in one room – this is much more representative of what would happen. It is really rewarding to see how the participants bring together the aircraft and the weapons systems, including Precision Strike Teams from the RAF Regiment. To see that come together is really impressive.”
