JB Langley-Eustis, Va.—The premier aircraft from the US, UK, and France are training together in the skies over Virginia this month in what officials said is the first high-level exercise involving the three countries and the fighter jets. The trilateral exercise kicked off in early December at JB Langley-Eustis, Va., with F-22s, Eurofighter Typhoons,? and Dassault Rafales flying several missions daily against red air aggressors made up of USAF T-38 Talons and F-15E Strike Eagles. The exercise is “all about integration” between the aircraft, said Col. Larry Broadwell, commander of the 1st Operations Group at Langley. The aircraft on Dec. 15 were flying an air dominance scenario, with the three countries protecting a 100 square mile area from the Talons and Strike Eagles. The exercise is a way for the pilots to practice communicating and operating together in the aircraft, and integrate 4th and 5th generation systems, officials said.
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
