Atlantic Trident 21 Exercise, Mont-de-Marsan airbase France

The "Atlantic Trident 2021" integration exercise was scheduled to take place at BA118, Mont-de-Marsan airbase in the Southwest of France. This is the third in a series of Atlantic Trident exercises involving aircraft from the United States of America, France, and the United Kingdom. The previous two had been held in 2015 and 2017  at Langley-Eustis Airbase in Virginia. This was the first outside of the USA and was held from May 17th to 28th, 2021. 

 

The aircraft participation list looked very respectable, with F-35A USAF, F-35B USMC, Eurofighter   (Typhoons) and Hawks from the RAF, and home-based Rafales, Mirage 2000, Alpha Jets and PC-21 FAF. 

The exercise would also call on a large number of support aircraft. 

17-5268 F-35A 421stFS/388thFW "Black Widows" USAFRC.

  

With fifty latest-generation aircraft practising combined simulated raids within French airspace, this was a chance to promote standard procedures in high-intensity air combat.

The USAF F-35s were from the 4th Fighter Squadron, based in Utah, and comprised aircraft from the 388th Fighter Wing and the 419th Fighter Wing, with its reservist airmen.

Firstly, I am giving time to the USAF as they arrived days ahead of the exercise and have a transit story of their own.

They arrived at Mont-de-Marsan on Monday, May 10th. Over the previous weekend, numerous reports of their support tanker movements were circulating on internet forums. They departed Hill AFB early Monday morning and arrived overhead BA118 that evening. Excellent images were captured as the second wave "TREND 21-26" passed overhead Newcastle in the UK at 26,000 feet, with one chick refuelling from support KC-135T 58-0072 "ROMA64"  and four others tucked around it.

See the link below.

https://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=204603#p1295381

   

They arrived in two cells: TREND 11-16 and TREND 21-26.

17-5261 F-35A 34thFS/388thFW HL "Rude Rams".

They comprised 5X F-35A from the 4th FS HL "Fighting Fuujins".

 3X 34th FS HL "Rude Rams."

4X 421st FS AFRC "Black Widows."

17-5248 F-35A 421stFS/388FW HL "Black Widows"

335/4-IJ Rafale B EC001.004 leads one of the morning multiple launch exercises. Mont-de-Marsan town rattled and reverberated under the power of collective fast jets launching in numerous waves during the exercise. 

15-5196 F-35A 4thFS/388FW HL "Fighting Fuujins".

The only fiscal year 15 airframe; all others are FY17.

335/4-IJ Rafale 'B' EC01.004.'Gascogne' SPA 79 "Tête de Loup" C/S F-UHIJ.

 

334/4-II Rafale 'B' EC02.004. 'Fayette' SPA 167 "Cigone de Romanet" C/S F-UHII.

 

323/4-HT Rafale 'B' EC01.004. 'Gascogne' BR 66 "Faucon Egyptian" C/S F-UHHT.

308/4-HA Rafale 'B' EC01.004 'Gascogne' SPA 79 "Tête de Loup" C/S F-UHHA.

124/30-GC Rafale 'C' EC03.030 'Lorraine' SPA162 "Tête de Tigre" C/S F-UHGC.

329/30-ID Rafale 'B' EC03.030 'Lorraine' SPA162 "Tête de Tigre" C/S F-UHID

325/4-HX Rafale 'B' ETR03.004 4B3 Aquitaine "Hibou" C/S F-UHHX.

110/30-IN Rafale 'C' EC03.030 SPA38 "Chardon Lorraine"  C/S F-UHIN

109/4-IM Rafale 'C' ETR03.004 C/S F-UHIM.

654/30-ID Mirage 2000D ECE01.030 "Côte d'Argent" BR27 "le Tigre" C/S F-UGID. 

654/30-ID Mirage 2000D ECE01.030 "Côte d'Argent" BR27 "le Tigre" C/S F-UGID. 

The Patrouille de France arrived on Wednesday, May 26th, for a base display the following lunchtime, along with four ship flypasts by the French Rafales and American F-35s. 

 

105/4-HE Rafale 'C' EC01.004 Prev EC01.030 2.GB1/25 "Bison" C/S F-UHHE.

327/4-HZ Rafale 'B' EC01.004 SPA37 "Charognard" C/S F-UHHZ.

127/30-GF Rafale 'C' EC01.030 "Côte d'Argent" BR128 "le Scarabée Blanc" C/S F-UHGF. Ex 7-GF "Provence" at Al Dhafra. 

E168/8-FP Alpha Jet EE03.008 "Côte d'Or" SPA65 "Chimère d'argent" C/S F-UGFP.  

E68/8-MO Alpha Jet EE03.008 SPA? Not known C/S F-TEMO.

325/4-HX  Rafale 'B' ETR03.004 4B3 Aquitaine "Hibou" C/S F-UHHX.

324/30-HW Rafale 'B' EC03.030 "Lorraine" C/S F-UHHW

131/30-GJ Rafale'C' EC02.030 "Nornadie-Niemen" SPA93 "Canard Col Vert" C/SF-UHGJ.

Then the USAF F-35s.

17-5253 F-35A  4thFS/388FW HL "Fighting Fuujins" USAF.

17-5252 F-35A 4thFS/388FW HL "Fighting Fuujins" USAF.

17-5261 F-35A 34th FS/388th FW HL "Rude Rams" USAF.

17-5270 F-35A 421stFS/388thFW "Black Widows" USAFRC.

17-5243 F-35A 4thFS/388FW HL "Fighting Fuujins" USAF.

Mission complete.

17-5268 and 17-5270 run and break.

17-5268 F-35A 421stFS/388thFW "Black Widows" USAFRC.

17-5270 F-35A 421stFS/388thFW "Black Widows" USAFRC.

17-5243  F-35A 4thFS/388FW HL "Fighting Fuujins" USAF.

17-5253  F-35A 4thFS/388FW HL "Fighting Fuujins" USAF.

17-5268  F-35A 421stFS/388thFW "Black Widows" USAFRC.

146/XR TBM700 ET00.041 "Verdon" 1 Esc. "GAEL"  from BA107 at Villacoublay/Vélizy.

17-5238  F-35A 421stFS/388thFW "Black Widows" USAFRC.

17-5261 34thFS/388thFW HL "Rude Rams" USAF.

158/62-IR CN235M-200 ET01.062 "Vercours" SPA BI 55 "Lévrier" C/S F-RAIR.

Four Dassault Rafales from EC01.004 "Gascogne" from Saint-Dizier Robinson arrive back overhead Mont-de-Marsan.

308/4-HA Rafale 'B' EC01.004 'Gascogne' SPA 79 "Tête de Loup" C/S F-UHHA,

 

323/4-HT Rafale 'B' EC01.004 'Gascogne' BR64 'Faucon Égyptien' C/S F-UHHT.

352/4-FS Rafale 'B' EC02.004 'Gascogne' SPA96 "Gaulois" C/S F-UHFS.

335/4-IJ Rafale 'B' EC02.004  'Gascogne' SPA 79 "Tête de Loup" C/S F-UHIJ

04/709FK PC-21 EAC 00.315 C/S F-RBFF from BA709 Cognac/Châteauoux Bernard.

 

09/709FK PC-21 EAC 00.315 C/S F-RBFK.

Support aircraft for the exercise were drawn from BA123 at Orléans/Bricy with A400M and C-130H, BA125 at Istres/Le Tube C-135FR and A330MRT, BA702 with its EDCA-36's E-3F's and BA120 at Cazaux with its EH01.067 'Pyrénées' EC725R2's 'Caracals'.

  

0073/F-RBAN A400M landing back at its base at Orléans/Bricy. 

93/XL TBM700 ET00.041 "Verdon" 1 Esc. "GAEL" from BA107 at Villacoublay/Vélizy.

XX332/CD Hawl T1A 100 Sqn RAF from RAF Leeming landing at Mont-de-Marsan.

84-0096 C21A 76th AS, "Special air mission Europe" from Ramstein AB, Germany.

17-5264  F-35A 421stFS/388thFW "Black Widows" USAFRC.

17-5252 F-35A 4thFS/388FW HL "Fighting Fuujins" USAF.

17-5253 F-35A  4thFS/388FW HL "Fighting Fuujins" USAF.

146/30-GY Rafale 'C' EC03.030 SAL56 "Scarabée" F-UHGY.

639/3-JJ Mirage 2000D Renove of EC 02.003 SPA67 "Cicogne de Navarre." C/S F-UGJJ. 

To learn more about this modified Mirage, click the link below.

https://legendarymilavia.blogspot.com/2021/05/mirage-2000d-renove-armee-de-lair.html

354/30-FU Rafale 'B'  EC02.030 "Normandie-Niemen" C/S F-UHFU.

126/30-GE Rafale 'C' EC02.030 "Normandie-Niemen" C/S F-UHGE.

105/4-HE Rafale 'C' EC01.004  'Gascogne'  Prev EC01.030 2.GB1/25 "Bison" C/S F-UHHE.

327/4-HZ Rafale 'B' EC01.004 'Gascogne' SPA37 "Charognard" C/S F-UHHZ.

327/4-HZ Rafale 'B' EC01.004  'Gascogne' SPA37 "Charognard" C/S F-UHHZ.

Phew! 'Happy Days"

 

Exercise Cooperative Bear RAF St Mawgan 1998

Exercise Cooperative Bear 1998 featured significant para drops across the Salisbury plain, and many former Eastern Bloc transport aircraft participated alongside their NATO partners. 

"Cooperative Bear 98." 

A NATO Medevac/humanitarian aid exercise, running from the 4th to the 13th of September 1998.

I must have been slow in going forward! First, I visited Salisbury Plain drop zones, then a trip to RAF Keevil, another drop zone. The result was nothing other than a Polish AN-26 at RAF Keevil.

So, it's time for action. I departed for the exercise's main operating base at RAF St Mawgan.

Yes, it was a long drive, but it was rewarded with some great aircraft. The number one position had to go to the Latvian Air Force LET-410, but there were some lovely pickings enhanced by the Cornish clear light, as you can see below.

2506 An-26 call sign "Bear 0809B" with stunning grey, black, and white camouflage.

955 C-130H RNorAF from 355 Skvadron based at Oslo/Gardermoen Airport.

Red 145 Let 410T Latvian Air Force, from the 3rd Tranporta Eskadrilla based at Lielvarde.

1603 An-26 PolAF 13 plt from Krakow/Balice.

114/62-IJ CN-235 Escadron de Transport 01.062 "Varcors" from Creil airbase near Paris.

955 C-130H RnorAF landing back at RAF St Mawgan.

XV306/306 Hercules C.1 LTW/RAF Lyneham, callsign "Bear 0813."

U-03 Fokker 60U 334 Squadron RNLAF  based at Eindhoven.

U-03 Fokker 60U RNLAF.

84005/845 TP84 Hercules Swedish Air Force from F7 at Satenas airbase.

84005/845 TP84 Hercules Swedish Air Force.

114/62-IJ CN.235 French Air Force.

955 C-130H RNorAF Taxies.

G-FRAS Falcon 20C FR Aviation from Bournemouth/Hurn airport.

XV300/300 Lockheed Hercules C.1 from LTW/RAF Lyneham callsign "Bear 0814".

XV300/300 Lockheed Hercules C.1 RAF.

2409 An-26 CzechAF arrived from the 6 Základna Dopravniho Leteckva (6 ZDL) at Kbely.

6150 C130B Hercules Romanian Air Force serving with the 90ATB at Otopeni/Bucharest.

XV306/306 Hercules C.1 RAF landing back at RAF St Mawgan.

ZE396 BAe 125 CC3. RAF Landing from RAF Northolt. Today preserved at Landgoed Groot Bentveld.

145 L410T Latvian Air Force.

ZH658/106 Harrier T10 1 Squadron RAF.

ZD435/47 Harrier GR.9 1Squadron RAF from RAF Wittering.

XX205 Hawk T1A Royal Navy, low pass from RN Culdrose.

XZ585/A/A Sea King HAR3 departs on a local mission. Today, it is preserved at the RAF Museum at Hendon.

ZE369/S/S Sea King HAR3 RAF departing RAF St Mawgan on a training mission. 

Unfortunately, I was unable to photograph the participating Lithuanian Air Force An-26, as it had gone into technical difficulties before my visit.

Happy Days!