Exercise NOBLE JUMP 2017 – NATO RF and VJTF took place at Cincu, in Romania. More than 4,000 troops have been involved (out of which 2,000 dispatched to Romania within days) from US, UK, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Albania.

The fictitious scenario involved an enemy army that invades Romania, and NATO tested its quick response capacity:

1. Norwegian scouts and Spanish snipers stake out an enemy outpost
2. Romanian Special Ops storm the place
3. RAF Typhoons and RoAF F-16 establish air supremacy
4. RoAf MiG 21 LanceR bomb enemy lines and RoAF IAR 330 Puma helicopters attack enemy positions
5. The enemy counterattacks with artillery and enters the field (targets)
6. A Norwegian mobile radar battery is dispatched to acquire the enemy firing positions
7. Romanian and Polish armoured vehicles and anti-tank infantry enter the field
8. US AH-64 Apache attack helicopters are called in
9. Polish armoured infantry fighting vehicles and Romanian battle tanks chase the enemy while the Apache Helicopters provide cover fire
10. Romanian paratroopers drop in to secure the field

The picture shows a F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft from the 53 Hunter Squadron, 86th Air Base of the Romanian Air Force. During the exercise, the Squadron did combat air patrol missions together with UK Royal Air Force Typhoons. Photo credit: Adrian Dulău Virusu.

Congratulations to the Romanian and allied military forces for the success of the exercise!