One of the main deliverables of the programme is a medium sized block training/exercise (around 25 aircraft and 400 personnel) called: European Tactical Airlift Programme –Training (ETAP-T). Just as important, the Centre provides experience and support to nations, who are willing to host the ETAP-Courses and the ETAP- Instructor Course (ITA). A first Symposium (ETAP-S) concentrating purely on European Tactical Airlift issues is planned to convene in autumn 2019 in Portugal. Find detailed information about each kind of a project below:
- ETAP-T is an annual training event aiming to develop a comprehensive airlift training opportunity within the European setting. Training objectives are based on national training requirements and activities. This training ‘à la carte’ has been designed to optimize multi-threat, advanced serials, which are challenging for the operational crews. A backbone of the training since the begin in 2012 is the strong support by the European Air Transport Command (EATC). The project itself runs over two weeks, providing not only training opportunities for aircrews but also for Intel, Maintenance, Aeromedical Evacuation teams, Combined Air Terminal Operations (CATO), Air Mobility Protection Teams (AMPTs) and paratroopers. ETAP-T (formerly EATT) is now conducted repetitively since 7 years. The next edition of an ETAP-T, which has been organised so far in Spain (2012/13), Bulgaria (2014), Hungary (2018) and three times in Portugal (2015-2017) is planned to be executed in June 2019 back in Zaragoza (Spain)). Though this tactical training opportunity is open to any crew, we appreciate to welcome already graduated crews from our courses to watch them employing the tactics they have learned.
- ETAP-C aims to provide air transport crews with a comprehensive airlift tactics course to enhance tactical knowledge, to expand the personal ‘comfort zone’ in unfriendly scenarios and to increase survivability in this airspace. Since almost all EATF-nations participate in the courses interoperability between European air forces will grow in this domain. Thanks to the effort of the EATC and the ETAC’s own Tactical Instructor Pilots (TAall participating crews operate of ‘the same sheet of music’, the ETAC Tactics Techniques and Procedures (ETTPs), a continuously updated reference document. On the courses crews are trained within a simulated theatre-deployment setting, exposing them to a complex surface-to-air and air-to-air threat. Here they are tasked to conduct more and are demanding airlift missions, however always being assisted by TacIPs. At the end of each course, graduating crews will be presented a certificate.
- ETAP-I provides to selected European Air Transport instructor pilots expertise and knowledge about different transport aircraft types and their associated mission capabilities, this with respect to the tactical reference handbook ETTP. Calling them ‘students’ at this project, during our courses the graduates become TacIPs and are always employed on the courses. The instructor course enables them to assist the crews during their flight preparation and to support them during the execution of their missions. At the end of each flight, tactical instructors will evaluate the crew’s performance against syllabus requirements. Once they are back at home they will pass the harmonised training procedures and their knowledge to their national crews, preparing them already for the attendance of one of our courses or any multinational event.
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- ETAP-S The Symposium has been the first common event within the EATF-programme and is running since 2010. It is still a core activity within the EATF aiming to improve fleet capacity across Europe and to improve interoperability of airlift related issues at the operator level. ETAP-S will solely concentrate on tactical aspects of the European air transport domain. Tangible initiatives will be to the benefit for consideration by the EATF community.