London. 22 May 2019. Royal Air Force aircraft and personnel have begun an exercise in Sweden alongside eight other nations to train together in building collective security.
Exercise Arctic Challenge is one of Europe’s largest air force exercises with 140 aircraft and 4000 troops from the UK (RAF), Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands and USA, supported by NATO assets, coming together from 22 May – 4 June to test their effectiveness in a realistic threat environment.
Based at Luleå-Kallax Airport, the RAF is contributing personnel and seven aircraft to the exercise: five Typhoon fast-jets, one Hercules tactical transport aircraft and one Voyager transport aircraft.
Each day will see up to 100 aircraft fly simultaneously in the exercise area which extends across the airspaces of Sweden, Finland and Norway.
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By taking part in the exercise, the nine participating air forces will share knowledge and learn from each other to strengthen their interoperability.
Exercise Arctic Challenge is hosted between the air forces of Sweden, Finland and Norway and this year is led by the Swedish Air Force.
