European Spartan 2019 Military Exercise: 13-24 May, Otopeni

European Spartan 2019 Military Exercise is scheduled to take place on 13-24 May 2019 at Romanian Air Force 90th Airlift Base/ Henri Coandă International Airport, Otopeni, near Bucharest. Event takes place under Romania’s EU Council Presidency.

European Spartan 2019 is a multinational training event organized in the framework of EATF (European Air Transport Fleet) program. This military exercise is part of a series of activities planned and organized by C-27J SPARTAN community with support of European Defense Agency (EDA) and Romanian Air Force at the 90th Airlift Base.

Countries participating in the exercise, beside Romania, are: Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania and Slovakia. Observers from other states that own this type of aircraft (Australia, Greece, USA) are also expected.

European Spartan 2019 Military Exercise is unique in the EATF program and is designed as joint training for C-27J Spartan military aircraft users, to develop interoperability in tactical operation and maintenance. In this exercise, Romania has the status of Host Nation, and the Romanian Air Force personal have an important role in the planning team.

C-27J SPARTAN aircraft is designed to perform tactical missions in peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, providing direct air transport to the theatre of operations, day and night.

Aircraft is capable of transporting forces, equipment, vehicles, light artillery, various equipment and materials and assuring parachuting / landing of troops, materials and equipment. It can operate long periods of time, without direct support from base deployment, under severe climatic conditions.

European Spartan 2019 Military Exercise is based on a complex scenario, which involves training to consolidate flight mission techniques, landing on soil and short-distance tracks, personnel and materials parachuting, cooperation with combat aircraft, coordination of aerial actions with those of the land forces, medical evacuation, while also exercising aircraft maintenance enforcement procedures in multinational teams.

Such events are essential for the harmonization of European and NATO air transport operations, in order to improve interoperability of air transport crews and, ultimately, to make operations more efficient in a multinational context.

Source:Romania2019.eu