AFCENT AWC aids multinational exercise
December 19, 2024
This year marks the 34th iteration of the ATLC exercise, which drew participants from ten nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE. Capt. James Scotto, AWC fighter branch chief noted that: “ATLC is unique for integrating GCC countries with NATO members… America’s greatest asset is its strategic relationships. We will never go to war alone and will be accompanied by our allies and partners around the world. The opportunity to train together is vital to learn each other’s capabilities and vulnerabilities so we can be ready to fight together when called on.”
The US release did not detail the exercise location, which was Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Instead, the USAF coyly referred to “the support of the host nation’s own AWC.” James Scotto noted that: “The course takes advantage of a large section of airspace with liberal restrictions to create complex, realistic combat scenarios and the best training in the region.”
These annual seven-week ATLC exercises have been organised and held in the UAE since 2004, under the framework of a Military Co-operation Programme, and they are always hosted by the Air Warfare and Missile Air Defence Centre at Al Dhafra. ATLC has continually evolved to stay ahead of emerging threats, Captain Scotto says.
“ATLC has improved many times over the 34 iterations to keep up with the modern threat and new technological advancements. The integration of real surface-to-air threats is a significant part of this evolution, since many participating nations have limited or no opportunity to train against these back home. ATLC is committed to incorporating the newest technology to help make our debriefs and instruction better, while presenting a modern, capable threat for the participants to fight.”
The academic phase of the exercise includes mission planning instruction, and covers common fighter mission aspects like dynamic targeting, combat search and rescue and learning about the laws of armed conflict.
The course includes more than four weeks of flying, including 16 missions, and a week of night operations. Scenarios range from offensive and defensive counter-air missions to combat search and rescue, air interdiction and the suppression of enemy air defences. Many of the scenarios introduce new threats or unexpected variables, forcing participants to adapt in real-time.
Captain Scotto said that: “This is where airborne leadership of the mission commander comes in, and how well they are able to direct their forces to still win. The more challenges they face in training, the better prepared they’ll be to execute dynamically during combat because they have already seen and conquered a similar problem set.”
ATLC is intended to build warfighting skills and tactical expertise, strengthen operational readiness, foster international collaboration and prepare future leaders for the complexities of modern warfare, while helping to improve co-operation and interoperability.
Col. Andre Walton, deputy commander of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing at Al Dhafra said that: “This isn’t just about flying missions; it’s about building trust and understanding among our international partners. The challenges we tackle here ensure that when we are called to act together in real-world operations, we’ll be ready to succeed as a unified force. The strength of this exercise lies in its ability to replicate the complexities of modern warfare while fostering co-operation between nations. This course reinforces a simple but crucial principle. Our greatest advantage is our ability to work together.”
