Cold Response 22, Media Flight in A330-MRTT
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| Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35A and Falcon 20 aircraft fly alongside an A-330 MRTT during a media flight as part of the Cold Response 22 exercise. |
Cold Response 2022
Cold Response 2022 (CR 22) is a Norwegian military exercise, in which Norway has invited NATO allies and partner nations to participate. The most visible part of exercise CR 22 will take place between 10 March and 10 April 2022.
From early January, Allied forces have come to Norway to train on how to operate under harsh winter conditions. Cold Response will conclude most of this allied training, but there will be some allied training in Norway also after Cold Response.
The NATO alliance is the backbone of Norway's defence. Should anyone attack our country, it will invoke Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, and Norway’s allies will assist us militarily.
A credible defence of Norway is based on Allied training and exercises in peacetime, and Norway's ability to receive and host Allied support. We depend on our allies’ ability to master demanding Norwegian weather and winter conditions. To ensure this, our allies must train and exercise in Norway regularly.
Media Flight
On Tuesday March 22nd, 2022, a media flight was planned in an Airbus A330 MRTT (registration T-058), flying from Cologne-Bonn airport (ICAO: EDDK) or the military name of this airbase: Flugplatz Wahn. The flight was organized by both the Multinational Multirole Tanker Transport Unit (MMU) and NATO Allied Air Command. The air refueling flight would deliver fuel to aircraft flying in the Cold Response exercise in Norway.
Cold Response 2022 (CR 22) is a Norwegian military exercise, in which Norway has invited NATO allies and partner nations to participate. The most visible part of exercise CR 22 will take place between 10 March and 10 April 2022.
From early January, Allied forces have come to Norway to train on how to operate under harsh winter conditions. Cold Response will conclude most of this allied training, but there will be some allied training in Norway also after Cold Response.
The NATO alliance is the backbone of Norway's defence. Should anyone attack our country, it will invoke Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, and Norway’s allies will assist us militarily.
A credible defence of Norway is based on Allied training and exercises in peacetime, and Norway's ability to receive and host Allied support. We depend on our allies’ ability to master demanding Norwegian weather and winter conditions. To ensure this, our allies must train and exercise in Norway regularly.
Media Flight
On Tuesday March 22nd, 2022, a media flight was planned in an Airbus A330 MRTT (registration T-058), flying from Cologne-Bonn airport (ICAO: EDDK) or the military name of this airbase: Flugplatz Wahn. The flight was organized by both the Multinational Multirole Tanker Transport Unit (MMU) and NATO Allied Air Command. The air refueling flight would deliver fuel to aircraft flying in the Cold Response exercise in Norway.
After take-off, the A330 MRTT flew some 2 hours to mid Norway where several aircraft were refueled. Six Norwegian Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighters were refueled with the tank boom. One Swedish Air Force SAAB Gripen fighter, simulated the air refueling with the hose and drogue system, as this aircraft type was not yet certified for refueling. Some US Marines Boeing F/A-18s were mentioned as possible receivers, but these aircraft did not show up. After the refueling, a 2 hour flight back took the A330 back to Cologne-Bonn airport.
MMU
In 2012, the European Defence Agency (EDA) started to address the long-standing European shortfall in the air-to-air refueling capacity. Since then, this initiative has grown into a mature programme managed by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), on behalf of the nations. The Netherlands and Luxembourg initially launched the programme in July 2016, with the first as the lead nation of the project. Germany and Norway joined in 2017, Belgium followed in early 2018 and Czech Republic lastly joined the MMF programme in October 2019. In 2020 Luxemburg funded the 9th A330 tanker aircraft.
In 2012, the European Defence Agency (EDA) started to address the long-standing European shortfall in the air-to-air refueling capacity. Since then, this initiative has grown into a mature programme managed by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), on behalf of the nations. The Netherlands and Luxembourg initially launched the programme in July 2016, with the first as the lead nation of the project. Germany and Norway joined in 2017, Belgium followed in early 2018 and Czech Republic lastly joined the MMF programme in October 2019. In 2020 Luxemburg funded the 9th A330 tanker aircraft.
The MMF aircraft will be operated by the Multinational Multirole Tanker Transport Unit (MMU) comprising of military personnel from the participating countries. The unit is based in two permanent operating bases, the Main Operating Base in Eindhoven and the Forward Operating Base in Cologne-Wahn (Germany). Among the nine MMF aircraft, five will be based in Eindhoven, and four in Cologne.
MMU and Cold Response 22
The Multinational Multirole Tanker Transport Unit (MMU) is supporting the long-planned defensive exercise Cold Response 22 in Norway. Training together with NATO allies, the main role of MMU is to provide air-to-air refueling capabilities. Cold Response 22 ensures NATO allies are capable of carrying out complex joint operations in the harshest of environments.
MMU and Cold Response 22
The Multinational Multirole Tanker Transport Unit (MMU) is supporting the long-planned defensive exercise Cold Response 22 in Norway. Training together with NATO allies, the main role of MMU is to provide air-to-air refueling capabilities. Cold Response 22 ensures NATO allies are capable of carrying out complex joint operations in the harshest of environments.
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Text, Pics and Video: Alex van Noye, Joris van Boven
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