Airforces

NEWS

http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #362 MAY 2018 // 13

Exercise Real Thaw 2018

he tenth Real Thaw

took place at Base

Aérea No 5 (BA5)

Monte Real from January 26

to February 8. The exercise

was inaugurated at the

Força Aérea Portuguesa

(FAP, Portuguese Air

Force) airfield in 2009, as a

multinational effort aimed

at achieving standardised

training, especially for

the F-16 operators of the

European Participating Air

Forces (EPAF) – Belgium,

Denmark, the Netherlands,

Norway and Portugal. The

manoeuvres are scheduled

at a time of the year

when weather conditions

are less than favourable

in northern Europe.

The scenarios are planned

to bring varied assets from

different nations together to

focus on major objectives.

Activities include air-to-air

and air-to-ground training,

tactical air transport

operations and close air

support. Real Thaw offers

all participants the chance

to take part in a large-

force employment exercise

in a joint area, with forces

from either two or multiple

nations working together.

As well as flying missions,

Real Thaw encompasses

support roles such as

communications, security

forces, maintenance

and intelligence.

The exercise has gained

ground year-on-year and,

after one visit to BA5,

most allied forces decide

to repeat the experience

in subsequent years.

Participants

The FAP aircraft involved in

Real Thaw 2018 represented

almost every squadron and

ranged from the F-16AMs

home-based at Monte Real

to P-3C CUP+s, Alpha Jets

(flying for the very last time

• see Portuguese pilots to
  train in US, April, p10) and
  Alouette IIIs from BA
  Beja, plus C-130s and
  C295M Persuaders from
  BA6 Montijo. Alongside
  the Portuguese Navy
  and army, aircraft were
  also provided by France,
  Denmark, NATO, Spain
  and the United States.
  Last year, US Air Forces

in Europe (USAFE) took

part with two C-130Js

from the 86th Airlift Wing

(AW), Ramstein Air Base,

Germany. This time, two

C-130Hs came from further

afield – they arrived with

around 50 personnel from

the 94th Airlift Wing at

Dobbins Air Reserve Base,

Georgia. The 700th Airlift

Squadron focused on

tactical training including

formation and low-level

flying, assault landings

and personnel and

Multinational Monte Real

Portugal’s annual

two-week Real

Thaw exercise

involved assets

from most of the

country’s air force

squadrons, as well

as from Denmark,

Spain and the

US. Jorge Ruivo

investigates.

equipment airdrops with

paratroopers from the US

Army and partner nations.

Other ‘players’ included

Ejército del Aire (Spanish

Air Force) EF-18s from

Ala 12, 15 and 46, and a

single C212 from Ala 37.

The Aviocar carried out

special forces infiltration

and extraction missions.

The Danish contingent

comprised two F-

squadrons: Eskadrille 727

and 730. NATO dispatched

a Geilenkirchen-based E-3A

for air surveillance, joined

by a French E-3F, and

Cobham Aviation Services

provided a Falcon 20 for

electronic warfare training.

Training elements included

a combat search and

rescue (CSAR) scenario.

A medical team had to

reach a location in a non-

secure zone and stabilise a

downed airman in just five

minutes – the permitted

time for the aircraft to

remain on the ground. The

patient was then loaded

into the aircraft, which

made a tactical departure,

flying at very low level.

Another area involved

working with a tactical

air control party (TACP)

directing air support to

targets in close proximity to

friendly forces. Each TACP

comprised two elements:

a Joint Terminal Attack

Controller (JTAC) and a

laser operator. TACPs

co-ordinated air strikes

during fire integration

missions, working alongside

artillery and naval gunnery.

During live-firing sorties,

some 1,500 rounds

of 20mm ammunition

and more than 30 live

weapons were fired.

As part of the NATO

Response Force (NRF),

Portugal’s armed forces

require regular certification,

and Real Thaw exposes

them to a range of

challenges. The exercise

also allows allied nations

to meet their training and

certification objectives,

achieved this year in the

course of 400 sorties

and 600 flying hours.

Ejército del Aire F/A-18A+s

C.15-92 ‘46-20’ and C.15-

‘46-09’ from 462 Escuadrón

at Gando, Gran Canaria, tuck

up their gear as they depart

Monte Real for a training

sortie. All photos Jorge Ruivo

F-16AM E-611 was among the Royal Danish Air Force

contingent, drawn from Eskadrille 727 and 730. The jet

carries a Litening pod under the intake and its central wing

pylons are outfi tted with Terma’s Pylon Integrated Dispensing

System with countermeasures and missile warning system.

Above: Gun fi ngers! A Força Aérea Portuguesa F-16AM pilot

signals to the camera from the cockpit of his jet ahead of a

Real Thaw mission.

T

AFM