Two U.S. Air Force F-35 fighter jets touched down at Los Llanos Air Base near Albacete, Spain, earlier this week to fly alongside their colleagues from Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, and a NATO E-3A. During a combat search and rescue scenario Allied fighters and helicopters took off to conduct a simulated extraction operation from “hostile” territory in the afternoon of 10 June.
“The F-35 is unique in that it combines stealth with the most advanced sensor suite,” said an F-35 pilot during the course. What this means is that we can see our adversaries long before they can see us,” he added. This capability was essential in the simulated scenario of the course at the TLP.
The TLP is a multinational headquarters based at Los Lanos Air Base, Albacete. Military and civilian personnel from ten NATO nations are participating in the progamme with the main objective of increasing the effectiveness of Allied air forces in the field of tactical leadership. The courses held at Albacete are based on NATO and national doctrine and concepts. For more than 40 years the programme has been the schoolhouse for tactical training and development of leadership skills. In order to keep abreast of current developments, the training courses are seeking to increasingly integrate modern aircraft into the activities.
Allied Air Command is the focal point within NATO for developing tactics, techniques and procedures with all Allies to integrate modern aircraft and their additional multi-role versatility and performance into existing fleets.
