A promising mid-term balance

After ending flying late Friday night and a standby day on Saturday, Exercise Ramstein Rover 2012 (RaRo12) was restarted yesterday afternoon with orientation briefings for the Forward Air Controllers (FACs) at Namest Air Base.

The first week of the field training included some 300 flights of US A-10s, Turkish F-16s, German PC-9 and Learjet as well as Czech L-159, L-39, Mi-24 and Mi-17 and Slovak L-39 and Mi-171 supporting 530 FAC control runs on the ground at the five different training lanes. This clearly reflects the professionalism of pilots and FACs as well as maintainers from NATO and the host nation.

Until this Thursday, another 240 sorties are planned in support of an estimated 530 controls on the ground. In view of the outcome of the previous week, this means once again an ambitious programme and the exercise control staff are confident that this week will provide similar results

“I express my gratitude to all for their professionalism,” said the RaRo12 Exercise Director, Colonel (General Staff) MSc Harry H. Schnell, “we have so far seen a remarkable enhancement of mutual understanding, paving the way for trustful cooperation between aircrews and FACs and laying the foundation for lasting friendship.”