Photo: Royal Air Force
NATO missions are more than just about developing military skills and training for future combat scenarios. They are also about Allied teams actually getting to know each other, learn more about how each of them operates and, of course, having the opportunity to test new weapon systems and military vehicles.
This was the case for the Royal Air Force (RAF) Gunners and a U.S. Army Cavalry unit, who recently participated in a joint training, in Romania. The RAF Regiment Gunners are deployed at the Romanian Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, with the purpose of providing Force Protection to 121 Expeditionary Air Wing. RAF units are currently conducting a NATO enhanced Air Policing mission, which was launched at the beginning of April.
As part of their mission, RAF Gunners organized a joint training day, together with U.S. military personnel from the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, and 1st Armoured Brigade Combat Team, who are also being deployed at the same Air Base in Romania. During the training, members of the teams shared tactics and information about weapons and battlefield procedures, but they also got to know each other and experience what it’s like to work with people from a different military unit and a different country.
U.S. Army’s Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle took center stage, as it was the first time that RAF Gunners got the chance to see what it can do and to try it out for themselves. The Bradley M3 is a cavalry fighting vehicle that is designed to perform mainly scout missions, and is able to carry 3 crew members and 2 scouts.
There’s also another Bradley, the M2, an infantry fighting vehicle, which can carry a commander, a gunner, 6 fully-equipped infantry men, plus the driver. These light-armored vehicles can reach a 41 mph (66 kph) speed, and have a 300-mile (483 km) range. A 25 mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun and a TOW anti-tank missile are Bradley’s main weapons.
The 121 Expeditionary Air Wing is currently conducting Operation Biloxi, which is the UK’s NATO enhanced Air Police mission in Romania’s air space.
As part of their mission, RAF Gunners organized a joint training day, together with U.S. military personnel from the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, and 1st Armoured Brigade Combat Team, who are also being deployed at the same Air Base in Romania. During the training, members of the teams shared tactics and information about weapons and battlefield procedures, but they also got to know each other and experience what it’s like to work with people from a different military unit and a different country.
U.S. Army’s Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle took center stage, as it was the first time that RAF Gunners got the chance to see what it can do and to try it out for themselves. The Bradley M3 is a cavalry fighting vehicle that is designed to perform mainly scout missions, and is able to carry 3 crew members and 2 scouts.
There’s also another Bradley, the M2, an infantry fighting vehicle, which can carry a commander, a gunner, 6 fully-equipped infantry men, plus the driver. These light-armored vehicles can reach a 41 mph (66 kph) speed, and have a 300-mile (483 km) range. A 25 mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun and a TOW anti-tank missile are Bradley’s main weapons.
The 121 Expeditionary Air Wing is currently conducting Operation Biloxi, which is the UK’s NATO enhanced Air Police mission in Romania’s air space.
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