Editing Office
RAMSTEIN, Germany –Two Ukrainian officers participate in NATO’s Command Post Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE 18 at Allied Air Command. They represent the air forces of the NATO Partner Ukraine and observe how Allied Air and Space Command and Control are put into practice in a Joint environment. "Sharing NATO procedures for operational command and control or Allied Air Forces with our Partners from Ukraine is one element of the military partnership activities here Allied Air Command,” says Brigadier General Stoye, Director of the Joint Force Air Component during the exercise.
"They observe all activities involved at our level and I am certain Lieutenant Colonel Oleksandr Blyskun and Captain Mykola Kokosha will be excellent multipliers for their Air Force back home.”"We had the opportunity to observe the tactics, techniques and procedures the exercise participants apply to plan, prepare and execute NATO Air Operations”, says Lieutenant Colonel Blyskun. "For the Ukrainian Air Force it is essential to learn about the principles and procedures NATO air forces work to; that is why we appreciate the opportunity to see first-hand the individual steps of NATO Air Tasking Order cycle”, he adds. The Ukrainian officers partake in the exercise under the umbrella of military-to-military contacts and will take their observations home to inform further development of the Ukrainian Air Force. For some years now Allied Air Command has worked with the Ukrainian Air Force through various activities such as Mobile Training Team visits and evaluations of military units.NATO-wide, relations with Ukraine date back to the early 1990s and have since developed into one of the most substantial of Alliance partnerships. Since 2014, in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, cooperation has been intensified in critical areas. Consultations and cooperation between NATO and Ukraine () cover a wide range of areas including peace-support operations, defence and security sector reform, military-to-military cooperation, defence technology, interoperability and industry, civil preparedness, science and environment, and public diplomacy. Cooperation in many areas is being intensified to enhance Ukraine's ability to provide for its own security in the wake of the conflict with Russia and its efforts to implement wide-ranging reforms.
Story by Allied Air Command Public Affairs OfficeARCHIVE201820172016