Exercise Trident Juncture Air planners meet for final synchronization at Allied Air Command

In the morning of 9 September, Turkish Brigadier General Mehmet Yalinalp, Deputy Chief of Staff Plans at Headquarters Allied Air Command (HQ AIRCOM) at Ramstein Air Base and TRJE15 Air Exercise Director welcomed representatives from participating Allied and Partner air forces for the Air Synchronization Conference.

“We believe this conference is a must for successful and safe exercise execution,” said General Yalinalp. “Thank you for your contributions so far. Let’s be open and frank and make best use of our time here to ensure there are no unaddressed questions. We must all be confident that we have a good and safe plan to execute this huge flying part of what is NATO’s biggest exercise in years.”

During the two-day event the planners from HQ AIRCOM conduct last coordinating measures for the air operations scheduled to take place in the TRJE15 exercise airspace over Italy, Spain and Portugal as well as adjacent international airspace.

“Since June 2015 we have been planning the execution of the air part of TRJE15,” said Danish Major Michael Petersen, one of three execution planners at AIRCOM, who is responsible for the flying training in Portugal. “During site surveys, planning meetings, coordination conference all over the three host nations we’ve gathered the air community to sort out the basic flying programme ensuring all participants get the most out of the life-fly training – the so-called SFTP or serialized field training programme. This is the last time we have the chance to gather all air players in one place and do some fine tuning of an ambitious plan. We’re all excited to see how this plan will unfold during the execution of TRJE15 this fall.”

Danish Major Michael Petersen (second from left) discussing with exercise participants the details of the flying programme for Portugal. Photo by Cynthia Vernat, HQ AIRCOM PAO

More than 180 aircraft from 16 NATO Allies and three NATO Partners will be operating out of military air bases in Italy, Spain and Portugal. In total approximately 36,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen will from 30 Allied and Partner Nations use TRJE15 to test the Command and Control concept, interoperability, strategic communication, intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance, and to test the NATO Response Force (NRF).

The Italian Joint Force Air Component (JFAC) Air Exercise Director at Poggio Renatico, Italy, will be the senior officer responsible for the overall direction and control of the exercise play.  He will be supported by three Chiefs of so-called Local Operations Control or LOPSCON Air cells who are responsible at the Deployment Operating Bases at Beja, Albacete and Trapani for fine tuning the training plan during execution. This coordinated plan will then be forwarded to the JFAC for preparation of the Air Tasking Order (ATO). LOPSCON Air will direct and control the local Air exercise play, monitor the daily battle rhythm and liaise with the Host Nation. LOPSCON Air will also approve ATO change requests because of e.g. weather, aircraft availability or safety. HQ AIRCOM will man some 10 posts each in LOPSCON Air.

TRJE15 LIVEX is a joint exercise. Air assets will be used in support of army, maritime and special operations forces, conducting Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Close Air Support and troop transport missions. Personnel Recovery and Search and Rescue missions are also scheduled.