Air Force photograph by Airman 1st Class Abby L. Finkel

A 493rd Aircraft Maintenance Unit crew chief from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, guides an F-15C Eagle onto the taxiway at Rovaniemi Air Base, Finland, May 26, in support of Arctic Challenge 2017. Through exercises like ACE 17, the U.S., allies and partner nations are able to train together in a realistic environment, working to ensure security, protect global interests and strengthen economic bonds in Europe.

Flying high above Sweden, Norway and Finland, representatives from 11 nations and NATO trained together to strengthen partnerships and interoperability from May 22 to June 2 at Arctic Challenge 2017.

For the duration of the two-week exercise, the three host nations welcomed more than 100 aircraft and 1,000 military members onto their bases for one of the biggest air exercises in Europe this year.

The participating U.S. Airmen, from RAF Mildenhall, England, and RAF Lakenheath, England, were stationed at Kallax Air Base, Sweden, and Rovaniemi Air Base, Finland, respectively.

Every day, aircraft from each of the bases met in the combined airspace of the three Nordic countries to perform a wide variety of interoperability exercises aimed at creating a force of allies ready to seamlessly respond together to a crisis when needed.

“We’re from various air forces,” said Swedish air force Maj. Johan Jeppsson, Gripen Operational Testing and Evaluation director of operations, “but at the same time we’re [performing operations] almost the same way. We’re very good at fighting together.”

Air Force photograph by Airman 1st Class Abby L. Finkel

An F-15C Eagle from the 493rd Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, taxis to the runway for the first sortie of the day at Rovaniemi Air Base, Finland, May 26, in support of Arctic Challenge 2017. The Reapers joined counterparts from 10 other nations, along with representatives from NATO, for the exercise to build on their expertise in the air and increase interoperability.

In order to practice working together as a cohesive unit, participants worked through simulated scenarios including live-flying events to train on offensive and defensive air combat operations. They also worked on evaluating aircraft, personnel and weapons capabilities, as well as mobilizing and training in multinational operations.

“We all bring a different perspective to how we solve very challenging problems,” said Lt. Col. Jason Zumwalt, 493rd Fighter Squadron commander. “The Finnish air force provided us with some very challenging and robust scenarios that each country would approach slightly differently. What we found is that by working together and leveraging the capabilities of each nation in a synchronous way, we can achieve better results together.”

Air Force photograph by Airman 1st Class Abby L. Finkel

A media representative takes photos of a French Mirage 2000 during the Arctic Challenge 2017 media day at Rovaniemi Air Base, Finland, May 23. Media representatives from multiple nations gathered to learn about the exercise, which is aimed at developing a strong relationship between participating militaries.

At the end of each training day, pilots at all three bases participated in extensive debrief sessions to discuss the lessons learned from the day’s scenarios, which was accomplished through a group video conference. The briefings offered a way to look at lessons learned and make improvements both in the current exercise and in future operations.

“I’ve seen quite a few international exercises,” said Finnish air force Lt. Col. Sami Puuperä, Rovaniemi Air Base commander, “and I think that we are ready to operate together. We have some different ways of doing things, but the basic idea is the same. We have different kinds of capabilities; we all have all our strengths and weakness. Together we are a lot stronger than just one nation alone.”
 

Air Force photograph by Airman 1st Class Abby L. Finkel

A 493rd Fighter Squadron F-15C Eagle from the 48th Fighter Wing at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England takes off in the distance behind a Finnish F/A-18 Hornet at Rovaniemi Air Base, Finland, May 25, in support of Arctic Challenge 2017. Multinational exercises like ACE 17 are opportunities for the U.S. to strengthen relationships with European allies and partners.