Allied Air Command lights the afterburners for Ramstein Flag 25, the largest NATO air exercise in 2025.
Synopsis
NATO’s largest air exercise is underway across Europe, with Allies aiming to integrate air forces through a series of intense combat drills against a simulated foe.
Exercise Ramstein Flag 25, orchestrated by NATO Allied Air Command (AIRCOM), involves more than 90 aircraft from 15 Allies flying from 12 air bases across Europe, with Leeuwarden Air Base in the Netherlands serving as the hub. During the drills, Allied fighters will fight through a simulated Article 5 scenario, working in concert with refuelling tankers and early-warning aircraft to beat back a notional invasion of Allied territory.
Ramstein Flag is NATO AIRCOM’s premiere air exercise, focusing on the large-scale integration of Allied capabilities like refuelling tankers, Airborne Early Warning & Controls Systems (AWACS) and fifth-generation strike fighters against a sophisticated adversary with the ability to challenge Allied air forces.
Footage includes shots of Allied fighters taking off from and landing at Leeuwarden Air Base, fighters refuelling from a Multirole Tanker-Transport, plus soundbites from AIRCOM Deputy Commander Air Marshal Johnny Stringer, UK Royal Air Force.
Transcript
---SHOTLIST—
(00:00) VARIOUS SHOTS – ROYAL NETHERLANDS AIR FORCE F-35 LIGHTNING II FIGHTERS TAKING OFF
(00:28) VARIOUS SHOTS – HELLENIC AIR FORCE F-16 FIGHTING FALCONS TAKING OFF
(00:35) VARIOUS SHOTS – FRENCH AIR AND SPACE FORCE RAFALE FIGHTERS TAXIING AND TAKING OFF
(00:55) VARIOUS SHOTS – FINNISH AIR FORCE F/A-18 HORNETS TAKING OFF
(01:13) VARIOUS SHOTS – SWEDISH AIR FORCE JAS 39 GRIPENS TAXIING AND TAKING OFF
(01:36) VAROIUS SHOTS – FRENCH PILOTS PUTTING ON KIT AND WALKING OUT TO AIRCRAFT
(02:10) VARIOUS SHOTS – FRENCH PILOTS CLIMBING INTO RAFALE FIGHTERS
(02:54) VARIOUS SHOTS – RAFALE FIGHTERS TAXIING
(03:24) VARIOUS SHOTS – GERMAN AIR FORCE EUROFIGHTERS TAXIING
(03:40) VARIOUS SHOTS – GERMAN EUROFIGHTERS TAKING OFF
(03:50) VARIOUS SHOTS – FINNISH F/A-18s RETURNING TO BASE
(03:57) VARIOUS SHOTS – FINNISH F/A-18s LANDING
(04:07) VAIROUS SHOTS – US AIR FORCE F-35s RETURNING TO BASE AND LANDING
(04:19) VARIOUS SHOTS – GERMAN EUROFIGHTERS ON TARMAC AND TAXIING AT NIGHT
(05:07) VARIOUS SHOTS – GERMAN EUROFIGHTERS TAKING OFF AT SUNSET
(05:21) MEDIUM SHOT – SWEDISH GRIPEN TAXIING AT NIGHT
(05:28) MEDIUM SHOT – GRIPEN TAKING OFF AT NIGHT
(05:34) MEDIUM SHOT – FINNISH F/A-18 TAXIING AND TAKING OFF AT SUNSET
(05:50) MEDIUM SHOT – US AIR FORCE F-35 TAXIING AT SUNSET
(05:59) MEDIUM SHOT – MULTI-ROLE TANKER-TRANSPORT (MRTT) PATCH
(06:03) MEDIUM SHOT – MRTT BACKING OUT OF PARKING POSITION
(06:14) VARIOUS SHOTS – MRTT TAKING OFF
(06:28) VARIOUS SHOTS – BELGIAN AIR FORCE BOOM OPERATOR REFUELLING ROYAL DANISH AIR FORCE F-35s
(06:44) VARIOUS SHOTS – DANISH F-35s FLYING IN FORMATION WITH MRTT
(06:53) VARIOUS SHOTS – REFUELLING DROGUE EXTENDING
(06:58) VARIOUS SHOTS – FRENCH RAFALES REFUELLING
(07:12) VARIOUS SHOTS – GREEK F-16s FLYING IN FORMATION
(07:21) VARIOUS SLOW-MO SHOTS (MUTE) – US AIR FORCE F-35s LANDING
(07:33) SLOW-MO SHOT (MUTE) – FRENCH RAFALE LANDING
(07:38) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Air Marshal Johnny Stringer (UK Royal Air Force), Deputy Commander, NATO AIRCOM
“So this is bringing together, 15 or so NATO nations, actually operating from this base and 11 others, practising key high-end missions which we would have to do to defend Europe in any Article 5 confrontation but most importantly, to do the credibility and the capability that underpins our deterrence posture.”
(08:03) Air Marshal Johnny Stringer (UK Royal Air Force), Deputy Commander, NATO AIRCOM
“NATO air power underpins the deterrence of Europe. It is one of the fundamental things since 1949, the protection of all those in European land mass and support of US and Canada of course, through the air defence of Europe. But it’s a bit more than that now as well, we always have to fight for and gain access to the air environment – that is vital and has been vital in warfare ever since the introduction of the aircraft. But more recently one of the things we have to do is make sure we can get access for our sister land and naval forces into any terrain where an enemy would contest us or would seek to invade. So, the air power contribution both to defence and securing access is vital.”
(08:50) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Air Marshal Johnny Stringer (UK Royal Air Force), Deputy Commander, NATO AIRCOM
“Well, what I would like to say is, you should feel assured, you should feel reassured. You’ve got 32 nations, here you’ve got 15 nations of high-end air power capability operating together to keep them safe and that’s the way we intend to keep it.”
Usage rights
This media asset is free for editorial broadcast, print, online and radio use. It is restricted for use for other purposes. In-flight footage courtesy of US Air Force Staff Sergeant Kristin Heller.
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