The FC 2024-04 flight course will begin next Monday, November 11, and will conclude on Friday, November 29, with an expected duration of 3 weeks. The total number of personnel that the TLP will host for this course is approximately 900, with 37 of them being participants aiming for graduation, including 26 aircrew members, 6 intelligence officers, and 5 tactical air traffic controllers. Flights will take place from Monday to Friday in the afternoon, starting on Monday, November 18, as the first week will be dedicated to academic activities and missions in the TLP simulator (MACE).
In this case, the participating nations on the Blue side will contribute a total of 22 aircraft, including Italy (ITA) with F-35 and EF-2000 aircraft, Germany (GER) with Tornado and EF-2000, the United Kingdom (UK) with EF-2000, Greece (GRE) with Rafale, and France (FRA) with Mirage 2000D. On the opposing side (Red Air), there will be approximately 10 aircraft, including EF-2000 (GER, UK, ITA), Mirage 2000D (FRA), and Rafale (GRE).
To support the flight course, NATO’s AWACS air control aircraft will be present, along with Air and Space Force Command and Control (C2) assets. Additionally, the participation of the MQ-9 Predator B (NR-05) unmanned aircraft from the Air and Space Force, as well as personnel recovery mission specialists, is noteworthy. There will also be the presence of a German JAMKITE electronic warfare aircraft.
Regarding the anti-aircraft threat, the participation of real air defense systems from the Army, Air and Space Force, and Navy is planned (NASAMS, SKYGUARD, MISTRAL, and MALLINA), as well as the ROLAND system from Germany. Several threat emulators from the company POLYGON are also expected to participate, along with the French ARPEGE system, which will be deployed in various land zones within the operational area.
Regarding the involvement of other additional aerial assets, two Italian HH101 helicopters and one French CARACAL helicopter are expected to participate in personnel rescue missions on the Blue side, along with their respective extraction teams. A Spanish C295 tactical transport aircraft will also collaborate. During the flight period, a SAR helicopter will be available from San Javier Air Base to provide coverage.
Finally, the TLP facilities will continue to use the MACE flight simulator, which allows training of aircrews not only in a virtual environment but also in real missions, where they can interact with aircraft through modern communication protocols (Link 16).
Photos by Edilia Luis:
