Arctic Challange set to begin May 19 Published May 12, 2017 U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa Public Affairs RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- The U.S. Air Force will deploy 12 F-15Cs and approximately 200 airmen from the 48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, England, to Rovaniemi Air Base, Finland, to participate in Arctic Challenge Exercise 2017 from May 19 to June 2.Additionally, two KC-135s from the 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAFMildenhall, England, will deploy to Kallax Air Base, Sweden, to support allparticipating aircraft. Arctic Challenge is a multinational training exercise to strengthen our partnerships with other militaries in the region. The purpose of the exercise is to practice mobilizing; evaluate aircraft, personnel and fighter capabilities; and train in multinational operations. This exercise is an opportunity to train with our NATO allies and Europeanpartners in a realistic environment. The scenarios involve notional, simulated events, as well as combined flying operations between the countries.