AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy -- Airmen and U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons assigned to the 555th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy, participate in exercise Brave Warrior 20, Sept. 24, 2020, alongside Hungarian, Slovakian, and Romanian partners.
Brave Warrior demonstrates the strength and interoperability of NATO’s alliance through focused close air support and logistics engagements between coalition forces. The exercise also enhances a critical skill set which provides flexibility for NATO aircraft to fly into any theater airfield for servicing and return safely to their home station.
During the exercise 555th FS aircraft will perform close air support with Hungarian, Slovakian, and Romanian coalition ground forces and receive fueling from Hungarian Defense Force logistics personnel at Papa Air Base, Hungary.
“Brave Warrior 20 is another opportunity for the Triple Nickel to enhance our combat skills and stay sharp,” said Capt. Timothy Joubert, 555th FS chief of mobility. “Working in a full scale close air support environment with NATO Joint Terminal Attack Controllers is hugely beneficial. When we enhance integration and interoperability, we are more ready and lethal.”
Brave Warrior 20 is an Agile Combat Employment exercise intended to ensure U.S. Air Forces in Europe are ready for potential contingencies by allowing forces to operate from locations with varying levels of capacity and support, ensuring Airmen and aircrews are postured to provide lethal combat power across the spectrum of military operations.
These exercises are a developing concept to increase operational capability and to respond to rapidly evolving global threats and operational environments in an effort to enhance security and stability across Europe.
“Planning and executing exercises like Brave Warrior 20 are effective because of the cooperation of our allies and partners,” said Joubert. “This exercise is another demonstration of our mutual commitment to regional security as well as deterring potential adversaries.”
As an ACE exercise, Brave Warrior will enable U.S. forces to operate more resiliently and effectively throughout the European region and move forces more fluidly across the theater to seize, retain, and exploit the initiative against an adversary in any environment.
Deterrence is a main goal of an ACE exercise and elements of ACE are incorporated into USAFE-led exercises, such as those executed with allies and partners, and will continue to demonstrate the strength of our combined nations.