The exercise of military transport aircraft from Spain and other allied countries in Portugal

@DefAviation ES 7·06·2023 · 20:22 0

The Beja Air Base, in southern Portugal, is the scene of a major international exercise involving military transport aircraft.

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The exercise, called ETAP-T 2023, is organized by the Portuguese Air Force and the European Tactical Airlift Centre (ETAC), which currently groups 13 countries: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal and Romania. The function of this center is to generate a European air transport advanced tactical training capability to organize common and harmonized training events.

As reported by the Portuguese Air Force, the exercise began last Sunday and will end on July 14. During this exercise, it is planned to carry out cargo and paratrooper drops, aeromedical evacuations (MEDEVAC), support to ground forces and special operations, tactical air transport and air-to-air training missions. You can see here a video about the exercise published a few days ago by the Portuguese Air Force, with images from previous editions

Below you can see some photos of the exercise published by the Portuguese Air Force .

A CASA C-295M of the Czech Air Force, number 0453 (cn S-069), taking off from Beja Air Base.

A Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules of the Italian Military Aeronautics, MM62179 (46-44, cn 382-5504). In the background we see an Airbus A400M of the German Luftwaffe.

A CASA C-295M of the Spanish Air Force, T.21-06 (35-06, cn S-008), belonging to Wing 35, based in Getafe (Madrid).

A CASA C-295M of the Portuguese Air Force, number 16703 (cn S-047). This aircraft is equipped with a Northrop Grumman AN/APN-241 radar in its nose.

An Alenia C-27J Spartan of the Romanian Air Force, 2705 (cn 4167). Romania has seven aircraft of this type, assigned to the 90th Airlift Base "Comandor Aviator Gheorghe Bănciulescu", located at the Henri Coandă airport.

An Airbus A400M-180 Atlas of the German Luftwaffe, the 54+39 (cn 125). This aircraft is operated by the 62nd Airlift Wing.

Portuguese Army paratroopers inside the German A400M.

Portuguese paraidistas at the moment of the jump from the German A400M.

The CASA C-295M of the Czech Air Force taking part in this exercise, in an impressive frontal photo during takeoff.

A Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules of the German Luftwaffe, 55+01. This aircraft is part of a joint Franco-German squadron known as BATS (Binational Air Transport C-130J Squadron), based in Evreux-Fauville, France.