Lieutenant Colonel Jose Almodovar from the Spanish Air Mobility Command is the Exercise Director of the second European Air Transport Training (EATT13) in Zaragoza, Spain. The flying event which will last from 9 to 21 June will unite 350 personnel from eight countries.
1. What is your role in EATT13?
I have been designated by the Spanish Air Mobility Command, where I work as the Deputy Chief in the Air Transport Section, as the Exercise Director (EXDIR) for the European Air Transport Training 2013 (EATT13). My role as EXDIR, once the designing and planning phases were concluded, is to control and command the different cells involved in the EATT13 organisation.
2. What is the importance of the EATT13 for European Air Transport?
Managing military budgets is quite difficult and complex for all European countries; joint operations are more common. Consequently, European projects and initiatives in this area must be focused on carrying out multinational air transport training programmes with Pooling & Sharing as a priority, followed by the standardisation of procedures, tactics, techniques, and cross-servicing activities.
We can affirm that EATT13 is a clear example of this kind of initiative; the motto is “Training together to operate together” with the aim to increase interoperability of European aircrews and fleets based on common procedures. The objective is to create a European Advanced Air Tactical Transport Course (EAATTC) similar to the American one, and following the philosophy of the Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP).
3. How is this project supported by Spain?
Spain is the Host Nation (HN) and the Spanish Air Force is in charge of leading the activities, the planning process and the coordination of the air transport aircraft from eight different nations, with the main support of the European Air Transport Command (EATC), the European Air Group (EAG), the Joint Air Power Competence Center (JAPCC) and, the most important support, the air transport units participants and their Senior National Representatives (SNRs).
4. What are the keys to EATT13's success?
First of all, the multinational team has already been working very hard for more than one and a half years to design, plan and execute this multinational training programme; secondly, the great support of Spain, as Host Nation, of the Spanish Air Force, as host air force and of the Zaragoza Air Base, as a multiplication factor to achieve EATT13’s goals; and finally, the flexibility of the event, which allows that air missions are planned to achieve the tactical training requirements of all participating crews.
More information:
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