With the support of the Belgian Air Force, the European Defence Agency (EDA) hosted the 6th Fixed Wing Operations and Training Working Group (FW O&T WG) and the European Air symposium. This event took place on 15th Wing Melsbroek Airbase, Brussels, Belgium, from 28 to 30 May 2024. The first two days were dedicated to tactical air transport stakeholders, ranging from operational units of EU Member States and EU entities. The third day of the European Air Symposium occurred with the involvement of European industry representing air transport and unmanned aircraft systems.
During the first two days, the meeting gathered representatives of EU Member States and EU entities, such as the European Tactical Airlift Centre and the European Air Transport Command. One of the primary outcomes was agreeing on the processes and procedures which will help on information exchange amongst fixed wing users, as well as to stimulate cooperation at the operators’ level.
Overall, the discussion aimed at supporting optimised access to existing air platforms and developing advanced flight training. The meeting also provided an opportunity for sharing best practices/experiences and lessons learned from operations, and to continue improving collaboration, synergies, and interoperability in the field of air transport among EU Member States.
The final day of the European Air Symposium was dedicated to the European Air Industry. This was a major opportunity for the industry to deliver briefings and update the attendees on the state of play related to tactical air transport capabilities and short-term development. EDA opened the symposium to the UAS industry (Tactical Cargo UAS) which reflects the agency's commitment to promoting awareness among operational units and exploring potential synergies, which will be further explored in future editions.
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