Events

02 April 2012

European Air transport Training (EATT) 2012

  • 04 June 2012 to 15 June 2012
  • Zaragoza SPAIN
  • 05:00 - 13:00

While the fighter community has been trained extensively for years to operate together (e.g. Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP), Flag exercises, large NATO exercises in European airspace, etc.), the same cannot be said for air transport. In Europe today, airlift training is very much a national issue and since operating together becomes more the rule than the exception, the need to train together becomes bigger every day.

Although a major step towards more combined training as well as harmonisation of airlift procedures and processes in Europe was the creation of the European Air Transport Command (EATC) in Eindhoven, the European Air Transport Fleet (EATF) Ad Hoc Working Group Tactical Air Transport (AHWG TAT), dealing with training at operator’s level, developed projects to increase the opportunities to train together and to exchange best practices. The current work strands of the AHWG TAT are a yearly European Air Transport Symposium and two ‘European Air Transport Training’ (EATT) flying events, scheduled in 2012 and 2013. The EATTs 2012 &2013 will lead to the establishment of the European Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Course (EATTC) in 2014, if possible identical to the US course that is running successfully since 1984.

Overall Requirement

1. EATT 2012 is a European Defence Agency (EDA) initiative designed to provide an opportunity of crew training for participant nations, thus allowing achieving a far reaching level of interoperability between tactical airlift (C-130, C-160, C-295…) users in the area of operations and training.

2. European Air Transport Training 2012 (EATT 2012) will be Multinational Air Transport block training held from 04 to 15 June 2012 at Zaragoza Air Base in Spain. In order to provide the place to train and qualify participant crews on dropping missions, take-off and landing during assault operations San Gregorio training center and Ablitas airfield will be used during the training.

3. This block training is focused on getting participants current in their qualifications, or regain these if necessary, in a short period of time with dedicated assets.

4. For EATT 2012 preparation and conduct an important step forward is made with the robust contribution of EATC personnel in the exercise staff. Their participation is crucial to better use human and financial resources Member States commit in different staffs, organisations and agencies as well as for a smooth and fruitful execution of the training itself.

Aim and Objectives

1. Overall objective of EATT 2012 is to get 100% of participants current in their qualifications in a short amount of time and with their dedicated assets. The aim is to consolidate existing qualifications or regain them if necessary.
2. Tactical objectives to be accomplished are the following ones:

  • Train air transport elements to deploy to a DOB and execute intra-theatre air transport operations for typical scenarios.
  • Tactical consolidation of following techniques:
    • Advanced mission planning.
    • Cargo and personnel airdrops.
    • Tactical navigation with TOT and threat reactions.
    • Tactical Air Land Operations including tactical recoveries, substandard field operations (assault landings), engines running on and offloads and combat offloads.
    • Short field landings.
    • Formation flying.
    • Night operations.

3. Participation in COMAO (Composite Air Operation) packages as high value assets.
4. Work on standardized procedures among tactical aircraft operators to enhance interoperability.

Training Scenario

1. During EATT 2012 training development, independent scenarios will be done for each mission according to its specific tactical air transport characteristics and training requirements (tactical navigations, formation flying, cargo and personnel airdrops, COMAOs).
2. Presence of air and ground threats will be included in execution of each mission. Type of threats, technical tactics and procedures to avoid them will be part of the advanced mission planning process.

Training Concept

1. EATT 2012 will deliver tactical training, over a two-week period duration, offering participants a unique opportunity to plan and execute missions within a combined framework.
2. EATT 2012 will be developed on an increasing complexity basis, starting from single ship missions and evolving to COMAO missions with the participation of different assets other than transport aircrafts (fighters, ground to air threats).

Participation

1. Belgium: 1 C-130 and 2 crews
2. CZ Republic: 1 CN-295 and 2 crews
3. France: 1 C-130 and 2 crews
4. Germany: 2 C-160 and 2 crews
5. The Netherlands: 1 C-130 and 2 crews
6. Spain: 1 C-130 and 1 CN-295 with 4 crews

See past events