After the Real Thaw that is taking place, to Air Base (BA) 11 will receive during the current year, plus two multinational exercises and an Air Festival.
Has learned the Lidador News (LN), BA11 will host the Hot Blade, Europe's largest helicopter exercise, between 7 and 21 of June and the ETAP-T, the multinational cargo aircraft exercise, scheduled to take place between 3 a 14 July. During Hot Blade, revealed to LN, It takes place in the days 10 and 11 June, an air festival.
O Real Thaw (RT23) started last day 27 of February and runs until the next day 10 March, where Portuguese military forces participate, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, U.S, Netherlands, Poland, NATO forces and, yet, forces of the Navy and the Army and that allows “to evaluate and certify the operational capabilities” of the Air Force, Navy, Army, and participating countries.
Hot Blade de 7 a 21 June
O “Hot Blade” (Hot Blade) is the largest multinational helicopter exercise under the Helicopter Exercise Program, the European Defense Agency (AED), and under the planning of the Air Command of the Portuguese Air Force. A BA11, received the Hot Blade in 2021, involved about 1.500 military and 26 air means of Portugal, Austria, Slovenia and Netherlands. In this exercise, advanced air controllers also participated (JTAC’s) from Belgium and observers from Slovakia, Italy and Serbia.
ETAP-T of 3 a 14 July
ETAP-T is the multinational cargo aircraft exercise, which takes place under the European Tactical Airlift Program-Training (ETAP-T), which aims to increase the interoperability of operations, exposing participating forces to a complex operating environment. In last year's edition, French military forces participated, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Romania, UK and Spain, in addition to the Portuguese Air Force and Army. the exercise took place, largely, in the center of the country and was based at Air Base No. 11.
air festival- 10 and 11 June
No decurso do “Hot Blade” a BA 11 will be the scene of a festival, very different from the Festival Air Show that took place last year on 3 July, na BA11, during the celebrations of 70 years of the Portuguese Air Force.
Police 506 “home” two Embraer KC-390
The new squadron to be created, will be responsible for the operationalization of the KC-390, whose first unit of the five units acquired from Embraer arrived at BA11 at 16 October 2022 and was formally presented and delivered by the Prime Minister, a week later.
A police 506, whose baptismal name has not yet been revealed by the Air Force, joins the three others that already operate on BA11: Instruction Squad 101-“Snoring”, Helicopter Squadron 552-“Zangões” and Patrol Squadron 601-“Wolves”.
Near 10 million investments in BA11
An investment 9,8 million euros is earmarked for the construction of the building for the Police Station 501 and for the flight simulator, works that will cost 5,3 million, and the upgrade of the hangar 131-264. The hangar target of major requalification, was for many years “the home” of the Alpha-Jet, The Portuguese Air Force, suspended in 2018 with the end of life of aircraft received from Germany.
new flight simulator
at almost 10 million, together with the acquisition of five KC-390 aircraft and the flight simulator, which involves an amount exceeding 606 million, to which they join more 221 million, both plus VAT, the latter heading referring to logistical services, road access to it will also benefit. These expenses were authorized by the Council of Ministers of 11 July 2019, for the acquisition of those assets from the Embraer consortium, road access to it will also benefit, SADDLE.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
