The Royal Netherlands Army’s 11th Air Mobile Brigade and the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s Air Mobility Command trained alongside forces from Great Britain, the United States, Greece, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Poland, Germany, Romania and Portugal. Participating aircraft and paratroopers carried out personnel and cargo drops, including Container Delivery System missions, with Eindhoven Air Base and Twente Airport supporting flying operations.
Sweden took part in Falcon Leap for the first time, while Portugal operated the Embraer KC-390 in the exercise for the first time. NATO said the training tested readiness across transport aircraft, command and control procedures and the personnel responsible for carrying out airborne missions.
Aircrews flew at lower altitudes within designated training airspace while rehearsing the movement and delivery of airborne forces and heavy equipment. The missions required close coordination between aircraft crews, paratroopers and supporting units as participating forces refined shared tactics, techniques and procedures.
NATO said repeated training of this kind strengthens the ability of allied forces to respond quickly and effectively to both military and humanitarian missions. Lieutenant General Mead CB OBE of Joint Force Command Brunssum also completed a parachute jump during the exercise, placing senior leadership alongside personnel conducting an airborne operation.
Falcon Leap concluded on 19 September at Ginkelse Heide near Ede with the annual commemoration of Operation Market Garden. The location was a major drop zone during the Allied airborne operation in September 1944, and airborne forces from several NATO countries returned 82 years later for training alongside the remembrance event.
“We honour those who fought in Operation Market Garden and in doing so, we are building real world readiness and interoperability,” Lieutenant General Mead CB OBE said. “This is about Alliance Air manouevre and my thanks goes to the Netherlands and 11th Air Mobile Brigade for leading this wonderful endeavour.”
NATO said Falcon Leap demonstrated how collective defence depends on forces training together before they are required to operate together. The alliance said the exercise showed readiness and interoperability in practice across aircraft, shared procedures and the personnel responsible for delivering the mission.
Source: NATO
