Reapers take flight during Frisian Flag 2012

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Connor Estes
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  More than 60 fighter jets from nine countries participated in the Frisian Flag 2012 exercise at Leeuwarden Air Base, Netherlands, April 16 - 27, including F-15C Eagles from the 493rd Fighter Squadron.

The annual exercise is designed to bring fighter pilots from multiple nations together to work on interoperability, planning and execution.

"The 493rd FS participation in Frisian Flag was a tremendous success," said Lt. Col. Mike Casey, 493rd FS commander. "The scenarios were challenging and the ability to integrate with NATO allies from several nations was a terrific opportunity."

Capt. John Koegel, 493rd FS pilot, said Frisian Flag is the largest fighter exercise in Europe.

"The pilots learn about other nations' capabilities and work together towards common tactical and operational standards," Kogel added.

Frisian Flag first occured in 1992 and the amount of aircraft involved makes it similar to the Red Flag exercises held in the U.S.

According to Koegel, due to the reduced funding for military training, many European nations have a difficult time deploying to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., where Red Flag is held. As project officer, Koegel said Frisian Flag offers a similar training experience for a fraction of the cost.

"Frisian Flag is nicknamed 'Red Flag - Europe' due to its mission and focus being similar to the training we have at Nellis," said Koegel.

Among the more than 60 aircraft involved were F-16s from the Netherlands, Poland, Norway and Belgium as well as F-18 Hornets from Finland, JAS-39 Gripens from Sweden, German and British Eurofighter Typhoons, U.S. and U.K. KDC-10 air tankers, a NATO AWACS airborne radar station and the F-15Cs from the 493rd FS.

"The 493rd FS participated in the exercise from Royal Air Force Lakenheath to test its ability to operate from a geographically separated location," said Koegel. "The exercise tested the Reapers' ability to safely and successfully participate in combat training scenarios with limited communication capabilities during the mission planning phase."

Koegel added that the exercise proved U.S. and European allies are ready to deploy quickly and work together to employ lethal combat airpower.

"Operating from RAF Lakenheath added complexity to mission planning and communication," said Casey. "The fact that we executed safely and effectively was really a testament to the professionalism of all exercise participants, especially my Reaper pilots."