Joe Campion speaks to members of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) Defense Helicopter Command (DHC) about its multi-type training exercise over the RAF Spadeadam range in Cumbria
Between June 17 and July 5, ten RNLAF helicopters took part in Exercise TAC Blaze UK at Carlisle Lake District Airport in Northern England. The Detachment comprised three Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters) AS532U2 Cougars from 300 Squadron, three Boeing CH-47F Chinooks from 298 Squadron and four of 301 Sqn’s recently acquired AH-64E Apaches, all based at +in the South of the Netherlands. Roughly 400 military personnel supported the aircraft with approximately a quarter being aircrew.
The aim of the exercise was to train and qualify crews in electronic warfare at RAF Spadeadam. One of a kind within Europe and the largest active RAF station covering 9,600 acres, Spadeadam was selected by the DHC as it enabled both day and night operations under a real radar threat. Additionally, the pilots can fly against systems that are not available in the Netherlands, such as the SA-8 surface to air missile (SAM) systems operated by the RAF Threat Emitter Team. DHC crews may still encounter the SA-8 in active theatre.
Spadeadam’s ro…
