The Air Force at the "EATT15"

16/06/15

The European Air Transport Training EATT15 started in Beja, Portugal. The event, which arises from an initiative of the EDA (European Defense Agency) supported by the European Air Transport Command (EATC), is organized annually in rotation among the participating countries and aims to increase interoperability between nations involved in the field of tactical transport, with particular regard to the complex situations typical of Operational Theaters.

The EATT15, which runs from the 15 to the 26 June, sees over 2500 people and 20 assets involved in 11 Countries:

- Belgium (one C-130), - Germany (two C160s) - Finland (one C-295) - France (in CN235 and one C-130) - Italy (one C-27J) - Lithuania (one C-27J) - Netherlands (one C-130) - Portugal (one C-130, one C-295, one EH-101, one P3 and three F16) - Romania (one C-27J) - Sweden (two C-130s) - United Kingdom (a C-130).

The Air Force participates in the event with a C-27J, and related crews, of the 46th Air Brigade and provides, with mentoring tasks (exclusively for foreign crews) two pilots instructors of operational tactics and two expert load masters, plus a share of support personnel in the field of operations, intelligence and maintenance, some Riflemen of the Air of the 16th Wing Protection of the Forces and an officer, belonging to the EDA staff (fixed wing officer), as SNE, national expert of air transport.

Interoperability in tactical transport is now considered essential for conducting operations in the best possible multinational contexts in which modern air forces are increasingly called upon to intervene.

The purpose of the EATT 2015 is precisely to verify the and possibly increase the level of interoperability that allows to project, jointly between different nations, in a short time, forces, means and materials at great distances, even in hostile and difficult to reach places .

During the EATT15 complex mission profiles will be carried out: materials transport and launch, low-level tactical operations in hostile environment, even night-time in NVG (Night Vision Goggle), landings on semi-prepared tracks, training with other aircrafts and engagements with aircraft hunting (F-16), often with the simulation of ground-air threats of various types.