RAF FAIRFORD, England --  

Airmen from the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa and the 501st Combat Support Wing participated in a first-of-its-kind trilateral Bomber Task Force planning conference at RAF Fairford, England, Nov. 11-13, 2024

Participants from the Royal Air Force and Royal Norwegian Air Force collaborated with U.S. personnel during the conference, focusing on NATO interoperability across Europe.

“It took a lot of work and planning for us to host this conference, which is the first of its kind of collaborative planning during a BTF,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Kendall Smith, 603rd Air Operations Command chief of BTF USAFE-AFAFRICA. “This allows us to foster those relationships so we’re able to tackle our common goals and to truly adapt to a dynamic security environment.”

The exercise scenario allowed participants to strategize employment for all elements to achieve training objectives, with the goal of fostering deeper interoperability across NATO.

“I truly appreciate the opportunity to meet the other planners in-person for this exercise,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Christopher Cahill, 20th EBS weapons systems officer. “It is rare for us to get the opportunity during a BTF to plan in-person with our NATO Allies from planning to execution to debrief. This gives us the chance to practice as we play with each nation’s capabilities.”

Cahill emphasized that in-person planning fosters true integration across NATO, allowing for the free flow of ideas, the building of trust and confidence, and the development of a shared understanding of the operational environment.

“When we get to be face-to-face, we can really get down to mitigating the risk of miscommunication,” Cahill said. “When you email or call someone, it can be hard to tell what they are trying to say, but when we are together, we can really break down and stress-test both the human and mechanical aspects to see where we need to focus to implement stopgaps.”

Overall, Smith said the conference provided a critical platform for building the foundation of trust and respect that underpins NATO’s shared commitment to global security and stability.

“This joint training enhances our range of capabilities,” Smith said. “Having the experts in the same room helps us truly get after the tactical air planning which is a complex, multi-domain mission. Planning in this way builds trust around the room, which will enable us to respond more rapidly to threats in the future.”

Participants said they are looking forward to seeing how the conference sets them up for success in facing complex challenges and responding effectively to emerging threats.

“Long term, we are looking to continue to build these bridges across NATO and really focus on breaking down barriers to make us a more integrated force to project a combat-capable force across the area of responsibility,” Cahill said.