Exercise Builds Partnerships Exploring Future Combined
Warfighting Capabilities
U.S. Air Forces in Europe officials joined representatives from
seven other countries in Tallinn, Estonia to participate in Unified
Engagement 2010, which started June 7 and continues through Friday.
The Unified Engagement seminar is the fourth Building Partnership
Seminar USAFE officials have conducted with European partners as a
transformation war game to explore future combined warfighting
concepts and capabilities.
The U.S. delegation, led by Gen. Roger A. Brady, the USAFE
commander, is working with counterparts from Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden to strengthen
relationships, and improve interoperability and future cooperation.
"These meetings have been good for us and our allies and have
proven productive and valuable," Brady said. "These sessions serve
as effective discussions and are opportunities to share ideas, and
for military professionals, particularly air forces, to share their
perspectives."
Brady said the relationships established and the work
accomplished at the seminar will allow everyone to come together
quickly in crisis and effectively face the challenge. "Because of
training seminars like Unified Engagement, the U.S. Air Force and
our partners worldwide are better prepared for future operational
challenges," the general said. "Estonia is a great NATO partner and
they are graciously hosting this meeting."
The seminar was an important opportunity to talk about
operational endeavors, military advice and skills, said Brig. Gen.
Valeri Saar, the Estonian air force commander, and the event
co-host along with Maj. Gen. Jack Egginton, the USAFE Director of
Air and Space Operations. "The purpose of the meeting will address
what role Estonia's air force should have, how to keep security in
our region and how to be good neighbors," Saar said. "We will also
look at new issues such as cyber security and energy, and the
threats to them."
An example of working closely with allies for interoperability
and future missions is the training between U.S. aircraft and
Estonian joint terminal attack controllers. "We brought in a couple
of F-15E Strike Eagles from [Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England]
to Estonia to train with Estonian JTACs who are on their way to
Afghanistan," Egginton said. "They are training and using the same
procedures as used in Afghanistan that will ultimately protect the
Afghan people and NATO troops on the ground."
During the Unified Engagement seminar, participants act in the
role of a multinational military staff, and consider possible
requirements and concepts for operating together to meet potential
future challenges. The participants look through the spectrum of
operations from peace enforcement and humanitarian relief
situations to cooperative security and stability operations.
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