Protecting NATO Airspace

Whoever wants to fight together has to train together: Germany and the United Kingdom are further expanding their long-established cooperation in preparation for emergencies. At the British airbase Coningsby, German fighter pilot instructor Major Ewin trains Eurofighter pilots. What does close combat at 2,000 kilometers per hour in the air feel like? Flight Lieutenant James knows what it’s like. At the very last second, Flight Lieutenant James pulls his fighter jet sharply upward. Above the British airbase Coningsby, two Eurofighters chase each other, each trying to gain the best possible firing position on the opponent. The RAF officer is practising one-on-one close combat with his German fighter pilot instructor, Major Ewin. After a daring loop, student and instructor thunder side by side over the runway of the RAF base in Coningsby at 280 kilometers per hour. Together, they are training for emergencies. Passen Sie jetzt Ihre Datenschutzeinstellungen an, um dieses Video zu sehen Zustimmen Adjust privacy settings Allies must be able to work together. A German-British exchange programme demonstrates that this works. We accompany German fighter jet pilot Major Ewin as he trains English flight students at the Royal Air Force base at Coningsby. copyright: Bundeswehr (Produktionsnummer: 25RED0003703401) In the light of growing tensions on NATO ’s eastern flank, the United Kingdom and Germany are strengthening their long-standing defense cooperation. This includes intensified exchanges of German and British Air Force officers. Both nations maintain Quick Reaction Alert units made up of fighter jets. These rise into the air, for example, when aircrafts enter NATO airspace without authorisation and must be able to respond simultaneously. Military personnel refer to this ability to operate together as “interoperability”. Joint fighter pilot training on the Eurofighter – in both the British and the German versions – make a key contribution to this. Therefore, German exchange officers are assigned to one of the Eurofighter Typhoon Squadrons at RAF Coningsby, while their British counterparts serve in Rostock-Laage. Only those who understand how their allies think and work can effectively protect European airspace together.  “Everything went smoothly,” Major Ewin reports as he emerges from the debriefing together with Flight Lieutenant James. His student is still overwhelmed by his experience in the air. “In Eurofighter combat, it really is all or nothing. At first, the opponent is just a tiny dot in the distance that suddenly keeps getting bigger”, James says enthusiastically. “You start radioing like mad, and from one second to the next it’s up and down. Him or you: five seconds decide everything. Your legs and your chest are compressed until there’s no space left and you can’t move anymore.” Training for the NATO Quick Reaction Alert unit Both the southern Quick Reaction Alert unit and the Royal Air Force’s 29 Squadron are stationed at RAF Coningsby. British fighter pilots like Flight Lieutenant James are trained here, as well as pilots and technicians from France and Italy, the United States, Canada and Qatar. As a German officer, Major Ewin is fully integrated into the British unit and independently trains future fighter pilots. After six to nine months of training, they have a realistic chance of serving as pilots in a Quick Reaction Alert unit protecting NATO airspace in Europe. “That’s my biggest wish”, says James who has been with the Royal Airforce in Coningsby since the summer. British fighter pilot training follows a special concept: immediately after simulator training, things get serious for the students – without a safety net. Unlike in the German Air Force, British trainee pilots fly the Eurofighter entirely on their own. “In Germany it is mostly two-seat that is used for fighter pilot training, with student and instructor together”, Major Ewin explains. “Not so in England. Here, the Eurofighter—even during training—is practically always single-seat.” “Very Tough, but Really Cool” Flight Lieutenant Will vividly remembers his first Eurofighter flight: “An incredible noise. And the acceleration! In five seconds, you’re almost vertical.” Trainee pilots are taught not only formation flying but also one-on-one or two-on-one air combat. In addition, combat beyond visual range is practised. In such scenarios, the target can even be up to 200 kilometres away, – depending on the guided missiles that are used.  Low-level flight manoeuvres are also part of the curriculum. Will enjoys these the most: “Here we fly extremely low—down to 250 feet.” That’s about 75 metres. “Actually, it’s quite dangerous. Very tough, but really cool.”