A edição 2023 do exercício Cobra Warrior, realizado ao longo de março no Reino Unido, se caracterizou pelo seu caráter global. Além das forças aéreas dos Estados Unidos, Bélgica e da própria Royal Air Force, habituais parceiras em treinamentos no âmbito da Organização do Tratado do Atlântico Norte (OTAN), Finlândia, Árabia Saudita e Índia se uniram ao esforço conjunto para trocas de experiências.
Focado em tarefas ar-ar, como combate aéreo próximo e a longa distância, o treinamento foi de alto nível, se destacando pelas aeronaves que participaram. Estados Unidos e Reino Unido, por exemplo, usaram seus F-35A Lightning II, junto aos F-15E Strike Eagle e Eurofighter Typhoon, respectivamente. A Bélgica enviou seis F-16C, a Finlândia seis F-18C e Arábia Saudita mais seis Typhoon. Já a Índia fez sua estreia com cinco Mirage 2000, não tendo enviado seus Sukhoi Su-30, que por lá são os principais vetores de defesa aérea.
Ao todo, foram 70 aeronaves participantes. Reabastecedores Voyager (A330 MRTT) do Reino Unido e helicópteros das forças armadas do país também foram usados em missões associadas, permitindo treinamentos de escolta e proteção a aeronaves de alto valor. A OTAN também destacou a integração com militares destacados em células dos setores cibernético e espacial, ainda que não tenha havido detalhamento público sobre como isso ocorreu.
Royal Saudi Air Force Typhoons arrive at RAF Coningsby ahead of Exercise COBRA WARRIOR, a multi-national exercise based from Lincolnshire.
International participants taking part in the long planned biannual Ex Cobra Warrior have begun arriving in
the UK to prepare for the exercise that will run during March.
The first aircraft from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Air Force have arrived at RAF Coningsby and RAF
Waddington where they will be based for the exercise. They will shortly be joined by aircraft and personnel
from the Indian, Finnish and Belgium Air forces. UK based aircraft from the United States Airforce as well
as a large number of RAF aircraft will also be taking part.
Exercise Cobra Warrior is a biannual exercise run by the Royal Air Force and is designed to train exercise participants in high intensity large force tactical air war fighting operations. The exercise will take place from the 2nd to the 24th of March and will be controlled by directing staff at RAF Waddington.
Taking part this year for the first time are contingents from the Finnish, Indian and Royal Saudi Air Forces.
The Saudis will be flying six Typhoons from RAF Coningsby.
The Indian Air Force will flying five Mirage 2000 jets supported in the air-to-air fuelling role
by an Ilyushin Il-78 tanker aircraft.
Also based at RAF Waddington will be F-16s of the Belgian Air Force and also F-18s from the Finnish
Air Force. The Finnish participation is part of a wider training activity in support of the UK led Joint
Expeditionary Force, that is known as JEF Warrior.
The fast jets will also be supported by RAF Voyagers conducting air-to-air Tanking operations, flying from
RAF Brize Norton. In addition, UK Joint Helicopter command aircraft will be based at RAF Lemming and
participating in the exercise. The RAF’s Air Mobility Force will also be taking part in the exercise deploying
elements of 16 Air Assault Bde during an associated ground mission that forms part of the overall exercise
scenario.
