The United States Air Force’s (USAF) F-35 Lightning IIs, recently led a robust assembly of approximately 50 U.S. aircraft in a pivotal NATO air and missile defense exercise named Astral Knight.
The exercise, as confirmed by U.S. Air Forces in Europe, underscored the urgency in counteracting aerial assaults, noting, “Recent conflicts, such as those in Ukraine and Israel.”
NATO has been prompted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine to refine its training scenarios, giving way to more realistic preparations for potential large-scale conflicts.
The training involves live-fly and simulated combat operations involving some 50 U.S. aircraft over Poland and the Baltic nations. U.S. aircraft are operating out of Poland, Lithuania, and Romania.
Six NATO countries, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the U.K., and the U.S., are participating in the exercise, with personnel from Denmark and Greece observing.
Astral Knight not only engaged live-fly assets but also comprised simulated combat operations. The variety of airpower included F-16 Fighting Falcons from Aviano Air Base, Italy, and Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany; HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters from Aviano;
As well as MQ-9 Reaper drones from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, KC-135 Statrotanker aerial refueling planes from the Kansas Air National Guard and RQ-4 Global Hawk drones from Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota.
The fifth-generation F-35s demonstrated their mettle as a formidable challenge for air defense systems. Deployed from RAF Lakenheath, the F-35s had already cemented their operational presence in Poland as part of the U.S. effort to safeguard NATO’s eastern flank.
According to James Shaw, USAFE-AFAFRICA’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense deputy division chief, “Recent events show our most probable threats today and in the foreseeable future could target our main operating bases, making IAMD and ABAD (Air Base Air Defense) that much more important.”
USAFE noted instances such as Iran’s massive missile and drone attack on Israel, and numerous assaults on U.S. troops in the Middle East.
Indeed, the developments even before Iran’s incursion impelled Gen. James B. Hecker, who leads NATO Allied Air Command and USAFE, to emphasize the pressing “need for a very sophisticated integrated air and missile defense system.”
Astral Knight will “focus on testing the deployment and sustainment of IAMD assets and capabilities while exercising defense plans for distributed air operations” by using the USAF’s Agile Combat Employment concept, USAFE said. Operational control of some U.S. assets and personnel will also be transferred to NATO authority.
“Astral Knight demonstrates the collective defense capabilities of NATO allies and partners across Europe,” Hecker said in a statement.
“By fostering early collaboration and integration in air and missile defense efforts among USAFE-AFAFRICA and NATO nations, we enhance our ability to deter and respond effectively to shared threats.”
Complementing the USAF’s broader strategic exercise calendar, Astral Knight is part of the Department of Defense’s Large Scale Global Exercise 2024, which dovetails with NATO’s Steadfast Defender series, including the Swift Response exercise.