07 Feb 24. Boeing T-7A undergoing flutter, climatic testing. The Boeing T-7A Red Hawk is undergoing flutter testing at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) and climatic ground testing at Eglin AFB, Evelyn Moore, Boeing’s programme manager for the T-7, told Janes on 2 February. Boeing delivered three engineering, manufacturing, and development (EMD) aircraft to the US Air Force (USAF) in 2023, short of the goal of five. APT-1, as the first aircraft is designated, was delivered to the USAF in December. “We are keeping it [at the Boeing factory] in St Louis [Missouri] for a few more weeks for some remaining ground tests, and then we will ferry that aircraft to Edwards AFB” where it will undergo loads testing. (Source: Janes)
05 Feb 24. RAF Typhoons join allies from around the world for Spears of Victory 24 in Saudi Arabia.
Royal Air Force Typhoons have been welcomed to Saudi Arabia ahead of this year’s Spears of Victory exercise.
The RAF Coningsby-based Typhoons from XI (Fighter) Squadron arrived in the kingdom to take part in the exercise which will be held at the King Abdulaziz Air Base.
“Spears of Victory 24 is an extremely important training opportunity for our force enablers to work alongside strategic partners in the region to demonstrate the combat air capacity of our highly trained pilots and engineers in the Typhoon force,” said UK Detachment Commander, Squadron Leader Hodgkinson.
He added: “Now, as much as never before, we strive for excellence in air dominance – collaborating with allies that have come together in a demonstration of their commitment to stability in the broader Middle East.
“The welcome at King Abdulaziz Air Base and the support in country has been fantastic and the facilities here will allow us to really make the most of this opportunity.
“We look forward to a busy deployment, operating at a high tempo alongside our international colleagues. I am confident the whole detachment will learn a great deal from the exercise.”
The Spears of Victory exercise is designed to improve the tactical proficiency of pilots from each nation that takes part, while giving RAF pilots the chance to work side-by-side with their peers from around the world.
During the exercise, the RAF will have the opportunity to plan and execute complex missions with other nations in a testing desert environment.
Spears of Victory will include training around command and control, mission planning and integration.
The aim of the exercise is to assure a high level of training for all participants. (Source: forces.net)
26 Jan 24. On Tuesday the 23rd of Jan 2024, the Adaptive Virtual Reality Training (AVRT) system for Military training v3 made its first UK appearance anywhere in the world at Larkhill with the British Army and supported by the UK’s Export Support Team (EST). Attendees at the demo sessions included representatives from across the UK MoD, overseas Armed Forces, UK Emergency Services, Further Education and Industry.
This deployment of the brand new version of the system for simulated dismounted combat training included one of the largest free-roam VR training environments the UK has ever seen, at 400 square metres, as well as the capability for up to 12 soldiers to train together in the same virtual environment. Soldiers are able to move freely and naturally around the training space, using real-world weapons that are familiar to them and provide active feedback.
The AVRT system allows military instructors to create varied training scenarios using the building blocks that the system provides such as detailed 3D environments, highly configurable scenario actors and variations such as lighting, location and terrain. Digital enemies are either AI-driven or fully instructor-controllable to deliver scenarios to existing curricula or frameworks. Soldier vs Soldier (PvP) within this system adds yet another element of capability.
Andy Higgs from AVRT said: “The AVRT training system is an incredible tool for the trainer’s toolkit. This setup at Larkhill has demonstrated that simulated dismounted training is a truly realistic option for our armed forces and can be easily deployed to provide scalable, de-risked, cost-effective and purposeful training for soldiers.”
The AVRT system is commercially available now and is in use by the Singapore Army, having purchased the system in summer 2023.
Joint Forces Editor’s Comment: We first encountered the Adaptive Virtual Reality Training team at IT²EC 2022, held at ExCel in London, where an earlier evolution of the system was attracting a lot of attention from security and military professionals. Last week we were invited to the launch of the much more advanced third version, AVRT v3, at Larkhill and intend to shortly bring readers a brief article on the system with additional photos and our observations. (Source: www.joint-forcescom)
01 Feb 24. US and Brazilian Special Forces, Alongside UK Advisors, Participate in Jungle Warfare Training with Malawian Forces. U.S. Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAFRICA), Brazilian special operations forces, and U.K. military advisors joined forces with the Malawi Defence Force under the Global Peace Operations Initiative. This training, part of a series of Peace Support Operations Training sessions, was designed to prepare the Malawi Battalion for its mission in the U.N. peacekeeping efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The program kicked off with an intensive Jungle Warfare (JW) training session, focusing on collective tactical skills through rigorous field exercises. To mimic the challenging conditions of the DRC’s jungles, the training moved to Mzuzu, Malawi, where the terrain closely resembles that of the mission area. Here, Malawian forces further refined their skills in tactical movement, land navigation, and specialized procedures critical for operating in hostile environments. Lt. Col. Patrick Stewart, a planner with SOCAFRICA, highlighted the training’s significance, emphasizing the enhanced level of coordination among international partners to support African security efforts. The training scenarios were specifically designed to prepare the Malawian forces for the complexities of U.N. peacekeeping missions, aiming to improve their operational capabilities and interoperability with other international forces. Col. (Ret.) Rolant Vieira, Jr. of the Brazilian Army, commended the dedication of the Malawi Defence Force Battalion, noting their proficiency in navigating dense jungles and executing precise procedures under adverse conditions. (Source: https://www.sofx.com/)
02 Feb 24. UK Commandos train in Arctic ahead of largest NATO exercise since Cold War. Hundreds of Royal Marines and Army Commandos are conducting extreme cold weather training alongside allies in Norway ahead of Exercise Nordic Response. Camp Viking hosts the Minister of State for the Armed Forces, The Rt Hon James Heappey MP.
- Royal Marines and Army Commandos are conducting cold weather training alongside allies in Norway.
- The Commando Force is based at Camp Viking – established last year as the UK’s main operations hub for the High North.
- Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey, met the commandos this week during a visit for bilateral talks on defence cooperation with the Norwegian Defence Minister.
Hundreds of Royal Marines and Army Commandos are conducting extreme cold weather training alongside allies in Norway, operating where temperatures can plummet below –50C, ahead of Exercise Nordic Response.
This year, they are based out of Camp Viking in Øverbygd, established last year as the UK’s main operations hub in the Arctic for the next decade. Around a thousand commandos are stationed at the camp, practicing cold weather and mountain warfare techniques and testing new equipment and tactics.
The Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey, visited the camp this week to observe the training programme. “He was in Norway for bilateral meetings on Tuesday with Defence Minister Bjørn Arild Gram, State Secretary Anne Marie Aanerud, and Chief of Defence General Eirik Kristoffersen. The visit also provided an opportunity to discuss the situation in Ukraine, and Norway’s approach to maintaining security in the Barents Sea.
Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey, said: “The UK and Norway’s close alliance was forged through adversity in the darkest days of the Second World War, when British commandos were key to challenging the occupation of Norway by Nazi forces. Today our enduring relationship is more important than ever, and our joint activity in the High North both increases our collective readiness and sends a powerful message of deterrence to Putin’s forces.”
Every year, members of the UK Commando Force travel to Norway, in partnership with personnel from other militaries, to rehearse cold weather fighting techniques in a range of training scenarios, from high-intensity warfare to terror threats and mass demonstrations.
Camp Viking is the focal point for delivery of Mountain and Cold Weather Warfare training and is strategically placed to support NATO operations.
The skills and lessons learned in the mountains and fjords of Norway can be applied to any environment in which UK commandos may operate in the future – the idea being that if you can operate in the Arctic Circle, you can operate anywhere.
Exercise Nordic Response, a biannual training exercise in which the UK participates alongside Norway, Sweden, and Finland, will this year form part of the major multi-domain NATO exercise Steadfast Defender, which is the alliance’s largest exercise since the Cold War.
20,000 personnel from the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force will be contributing to Steadfast Defender 24 alongside 31 NATO allies and Sweden – with the UK forming 40 per cent of the exercise’s land forces.
Enhancing the coalition between the UK and her NATO allies, Steadfast Defender 24 will bring NATO nations together to test and refine defence plans approved at the 2023 NATO summit in Vilnius.
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)