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That made me wonder if the Belgian Air Force is planning to stop using the Marchettis and Alpha Jets as well . . .Belgium to join Sheppard AFB program
Stacy Johnson, Times Record News
Posted September 26, 2009 at 2:18 a.m.
Belgium will be reentering the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program at Sheppard’s 80th Flying Training Wing next year, and the business of training NATO air warriors will continue as usual, according to ENJJPT steering committee chairman Brig. Gen. Franco Marsiglia, commander of the Italian Air Force Academy. The steering committee met this week at Sheppard to discuss details of the multi-national undergraduate pilot training program.
“Next year we will have the reentry of the Belgium air force, and we are very lucky because we will have more students and more European instructor pilots,” Marsiglia said.
Marsiglia said the steering committee also focused on the new syllabus for pilot training which includes the T-6 Texan II airframe, which replaced the
T-37 Tweet this past year for Phase 2 pilot training at the base.
“The main change was the new T-6 aircraft and the new syllabus, which is a good syllabus for the junior pilots and there is a real increase in initial operating capability,” Marsiglia said.
80th Flying Wing Commander Col. Kevin Schneider said the T-6 changeover allowed for those increases in operating capability for the pilots.
“Part of the T-6 program (is) the simulators, so the students are receiving higher fidelity ground-based training in the T-6 (simulators) than they were in able to receive in the T-37,” Schneider said, As a result, he said, students hitting the flightline in the T-6 are observed as being steps ahead of the students going through the T-37’s, because of that ground-based training.
“So, the net result is we’re able to do more with our students and provide them with greater flying ability,” Schneider said.
He said the steering committee, where the 13 countries in the joint pilot training program meet every six months, allows all the partner nations to have input into the training at the program.
“Each and very nation has a say in the training here, and each and every nation has a voice and each and every nation sends us their best, whether instructor pilots or students,” Schneider said. “Every six months the steering committee sits down and talks about things they would like to see different in the program, and the reason that they bring these changes to the table are the result of the experiences their pilots are seeing in combat operations each and every day.”
He said the syllabus for the training program is constantly evolving.
“The bottom line is we train NATO air warriors today for tomorrow’s fight,”
Schneider said. “The world is evolving, air combat is evolving, the threat is evolving and we have to continually adapt to changes in air power, to changes in the threat and the changes in the environment each and every day,” Schneider said.
Marsiglia said the support by the military and civilians for the joint pilot training program is one of the reasons it has been so successful since its inception in 1981.
“All the countries during the meeting say ‘Thank you very much’ to the United States Air Force for continuous excellent support of the program.
That’s why we stay here in the USA; and in my opinion, this program will continue in the future for a long time,” Marsiglia said. “An interesting situation for European people is the social and community around the Air Force, we are very lucky and very happy for the great, excellent and spontaneous support by the Sheppard Military Affairs Committee, ENJJPT sponsors and those in the communities of Wichita Falls, Burkburnett and Iowa Park.”
I can't help you with an answer to your question, however I do think that rejoining ENJJPT will have no influence on the Marchettis, as they need a plane for basic flying training leading up to the Texan II.Herbertvh wrote:
That made me wonder if the Belgian Air Force is planning to stop using the Marchettis and Alpha Jets as well . . .
Ah, but then debate would start to rage about which base to close: the Flemish one or the Wallon oneK-9 wrote:Well considering this low amount of jets. One would say shut one F-16 base !
And they will use the famous word "Ni" to defend themselves?Trueno wrote:They will focus on transport and helicopter support operations in future.
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as in Not Interested?? Don't worry, if there is life the Dutch will find it (and hopefully also defend it)Gerard wrote:And they will use the famous word "Ni" to defend themselves?
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