realnewsnobullshit
Just an update to a previous post about all the air refuelers moving towards the Atlantic.
Some of our followers notified us that tomorrow is the kickoff of Atlantic Trident ’25, a trilateral exercise involving the air forces of the US, UK, and France. They say the refuelers heading to the Atlantic are for this exercise.
According to the Army, the exercise is “focused on strengthening integration between fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft while enhancing tactical readiness and interoperability among NATO and allied air forces.”
Participating aircraft will include:
• Finnish Air Force F/A-18 Hornets
• US Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs, F-15E Strike Eagles, and KC-135 Stratotankers
• French Air and Space Force Rafales, E-3F AWACS, A330 MRTT, and A400M transport aircraft
• Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons
According to Finland, “The exercise will be led from the Air Force Command Finland, located in Tikkakoski, Jyväskylä. U.S. and French fighter jets will be deployed to the Satakunta Air Wing’s Pirkkala Air Base, while the RAF Typhoons will operate from the Karelia Air Wing’s Rissala Air Base. U.S. KC-135 Stratotankers, the French E-3F AWACS, and the Draken International aircraft will operate from the Lapland Air Wing’s Rovaniemi Air Base (Finland).”
Some say this movement makes sense with the exercise, while others find it interesting given the current situation in the Middle East and the unusually high number of refuelers involved.
The photo above is from DVIDS, taken two days ago, with the caption: “A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker from the 100th Air Refueling Wing prepares for takeoff in support of exercise Atlantic Trident 25 at RAF Mildenhall, England.”