U.S. Air Force Airmen and aircraft, based in Europe, have kicked off exercise Astral Knight 24 at forward operating bases in Romania, Lithuania and Poland.
AK24 is U.S. European Command’s capstone integrated air and missile defense exercise focused on development and employment of the theater-wide, coalition IAMD architecture.
The exercise which started Friday will feature live flying and simulated combat scenarios, concentrated in Romania, Poland and the Baltic states, DIVDS said in a statement.
“Exercises like Astral Knight are designed to enhance maneuverability and integration between U.S. Allies and partners, all of which are foundational to our agile combat employment strategy throughout Europe and Africa,” said Lt. Gen. Johnny Lamontagne, deputy commander of United States Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa.
“Astral Knight will continue to strengthen Ally and partner interoperability while validating our integrated air and missile defense capabilities.”
Airmen and aircraft from the U.S. Air National Guard also arrived in Europe to support AK24. The exercise will host more than 50 U.S. aircraft.
A total of six NATO Allies are participating in AK24, including: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, U.K., and the U.S. There will also be observers from Denmark and Greece.
Exercise participants will focus on testing the deployment and sustainment of IAMD assets and capabilities, while exercising defense plans for distributed air operations through the ACE concept.
Collaboration with NATO Allies strengthens the organization’s collective defense capabilities across the European theater.
AK24 falls under the Defense Department’s broader exercise program dubbed the Large Scale Global Exercise 2024. The program encompasses a range of joint and multinational military activities to demonstrate the U.S.’s robust global presence and partnerships devoted to security and stability.
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