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Home | Update | LATEST ISSUE | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 7/98 NATO: TOP-TRAINING AT TLP by Karl Schwarz In recent years, NATO's air forces have changed drastically. Squadrons have been reduced and no longer directly confront a dangerous enemy. Flexibility and mobility are today's key words replacing constant alert and readiness, especially when regarding operations in crisis areas like the former Yugoslavia. Nowadays, the forces are assembled on a case-by-case basis according to mission requirements from contingents of different countries. Therefore the abilities of the crews are more important than ever. Consequently the significance of the TLP, located at the J. Offenburg air base in Florennes, Belgium, is due to increase. Its task continues to stay the same even in its 20th year: the development of the ability to lead large formations during tactical missions, good mission planning and the modification of tactics based on the latest operational experiences. Around 50 officers and sub-officers from the TLP-countries Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Great Britain, USA and since 1996 Denmark and Italy take care of the courses at Florennes. Every year six flying courses with a duration of four weeks are staged, one of which always takes place on an air base other than Florennes. This year it is held in Nimes in France. The country has an liasion officer at Florennes and is often participating in the courses though it is not a member of TLP. A maximum number of 140 slots are available each year. The Luftwaffe and the Royal Air Force use approximately 30 each while countries like Belgium or the Netherlands send twelve to 16 crews to the TLP. Minimum requirements to take part in NATOÕs Top Gun course are 500 flying hours. Additionally half the number of pilots has to be qualified to lead four-ship formations. The best mixture for a successful TLP course has shown to be a mix of 16 attack planes and six fighters. The scale of participating aircraft ranges from the rather nimble AMX fighter bomber to the sophisticated Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle. Shortly before the end of a course the participants are joined by other units and support aircraft like tankers or Boeing E-3A AWACS's to fly larger missions. The first two weeks of a class compromise lectures and discussions combined with a flying programm which gradually increases in complexivity. After that, two weeks of intensive practise flying follow. The total of 15 missions contains a complete szenario of air defense, offensive counter air and close air support. Although flying time rarely exceeds one and a half hours, both crew and trainers have a busy schedule the whole day long. A typical itinary begins with a weather briefing at eight oÕclock, after which the fighter and attack crews split up to do their flight preparations. The instructors carefully watch over the relatively short planning period which is lasting only two hours. Next, the crews are walking to their aircraft which are parked on the south side of the runway. In just a few minutes all 20 to 24 aircraft are in the air and on their way to targets in Belgium and the neighboring countries. The crews have to cope not only with enemy fighters but with ground based air defenses as well. No live ammunition is carried on the aircraft, though the use of flares and radar decoys during dogfights is permitted over the sea. Another part of the missions is electronic warfare. The exact and exhaustive debriefing after return to base is very important. Members of TLP collect all reports and gun camera films of the recent mission to get a good picture of how the operation was carried out. The results are discussed in an open round for at least an hour. Proposals for improvements keep surfacing in the discussion whereas there are no marks passed out. The talks often continue more informally at the bar in the evening. TLP hopes to improve the debriefing in the future by introducing ACM pods which look like Sidewinder missiles and are usuable for all fighter types. These pods record the exact position and several other data of the aircraft so that back on the ground all the information can be developed into a computer-animated mission profile. The Belgian Ministry of Defense is expected to sign a leasing deal for these systems shortly. Next to the flying branch there are also an academics and a concepts and doctrine branch at TLP. The academics branch is responsible for twelve theory courses a year. Here around 500 soldiers are briefed in several classes on electronic combat measures, air defense, combined operations or reconnaissance debriefs. The concepts and doctrine branch analyses basic questions of future tactics. Several conferences are staged in this respect. A recent one for example dealt with the experiences learned by the operations in Bosnia. Another interesting seminar was held so successfully with the countries participating in NATO's Partnership for Peace program that a further one is planned for this October. The studies' starting point will continue to be the combined air operations, but future scenarios will need more cooperation between all parts of the armed forces. That is why TLP wants to dedicate more attention to this point. The experiences learned from this will again be integrated into the flying training and therefore will assure that NATO crews will still be able to cope with the ever changing requirements. From page 50 of FLUG REVUE 7/98 Home | Update | LATEST ISSUE | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 7/98 Copyright 1998 by Motor-Presse Stuttgart. All rights reserved. Last updated June 9, 1998 FLUG REVUE, Ubierstr. 83, 53173 Bonn, Germany