NATO allies practice dog fighting as Russia gains ground in Ukraine

More than three dozen fighter pilots from nine NATO countries gathered last week at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, to face each other in a first-of-its-kind exercise led by the U.S. to sharpened air-to-air combat capabilities and coordination between allies.

Ramstein 1v1 pitted pilots from the US, UK, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France and Germany against each other in a one-day competition of basic gunnery or dogfighting in which quick decisions and sharp response to an opponent can mean life or death. It featured a mix of aircraft, including F-35A Lightning IIs, F-16 Fighting Falcons, Eurofighter Typhoons, French Rafales, F/A-18 Hornets and A-4 Skyhawks.

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The exercise was the first for the US Air Force in Europe and turned Ramstein, a military air base, into a combat base for a day.

Basic fighter maneuvering is a fundamental skill set for fighter pilots, said Lt. Col. Michael Loringer, USAFE chief of weapons and tactics. said in a statement. It tests pilots' reaction time, physical endurance and situational awareness. There is no better way to build confidence in a piloted aircraft or in the pilots' skills than to engage one-on-one.

The event comes as Russia gains ground in Ukraine in the third year of war on NATO's doorstep. The US military and its allies have turned their attention to strengthening air combat capabilities as they prepare for the possibility that tensions with Russia and China could spill over into armed conflict, pitting advanced air forces against each other for the first time. in decades.

As part of that preparatory work, the Air Force last September brought back its famous William Tell aerial gunnery competition after setting it aside for nearly two decades due to the high tempo of operations in the Middle East. Air Combat Command told Air Force Times on Tuesday that a William Tell 2025 competition is tentatively in the works, although a date has not yet been set.

USAFE Commander Gen. James Hecker said last year that NATO pilots will also test new offensive and defensive maneuvers in a major new training exercise, Ramstein Flag, in Greece in late 2024.

We don't want to go to war with Russia and I don't think they want to go to war with us, he told Air Force Times last July. But we have to make sure that we have forces capable of restraining them so that nothing bad happens.

During the exercise in recent weeks, American aircraft from RAF Lakenheath, England, deployed to serve the Royal Norwegian Air Force's F-35s. The 86th Airlift Wing at Ramstein handled installation support and flight line operations.

The training focused on readiness and confidence building, with some friendly competition built in. After a day of flying, a piano was burned in memory of fighter pilots killed in action, a World War II tradition that continues.

We are not just NATO allies, but a community bound by true friendship and respect, Loringer said. I emphasize this point because successful military operations require extraordinary teamwork, often critical to survival. And as a pilot, it's trust. It is important to trust your arm.

Courtney Mabeus-Brown is the senior reporter at Air Force Times. She is an award-winning journalist who previously covered the military for Navy Times and The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va., where she first set foot on an aircraft carrier. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy and more.

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