No.1 Squadron based at Florennes and operating the F-16 Fighting Falcon is the oldest squadron of the Belgian Air Force. The history of the unit began during the First World War, when the squadron was established as an air defence squadron of the Belgian Army. The unit, with the Latin motto Nemo me impune lacessit (‘No one provokes me with impunity’) and the prickly thistle as its emblem, celebrated its 100th anniversary this year.
The French joined the Belgians with a specially painted fighter, this one a Mirage 2000C
An F-16 was specially painted in an eye-catching black-and-yellow scheme to commemorate the Squadron’s milestone. French designer Didier Wolff, responsible for designing a number of beautiful Mirage and Rafale paint schemes for the French Air Force, was asked to design the special colour scheme for No.1 Squadron, and aircraft number FA-132 was made available for the project. The aircraft went to Charleroi for painting and was eventually presented on 11 May 2017. The aircraft is painted in the black and yellow colours of the Squadron, and bears the Scottish thistle in grey tones on its tail.
The Tactical Weapons Meet
The Tactical Weapons Meet 2017 is a very serious exercise for the participating pilots. The Belgian hosts participated with four F-16s, two from 2 Wing at Florennes and two from 10 Wing at Kleine-Brogel. The Royal Air Force took part with two glossyblack Hawk T1s from RAF Leeming, where they fly as aggressors with No.100 Squadron. The Italians sent two EF2000 Eurofighters from 4° Stormo, based at Grosseto. The Spaniards also participated with Eurofighters sending three from Seville/Morón where they are assigned to Ala 11. Poland brought three MiG-29s from 1 Eskadra Lotnictwa Taktycznego (1.elt) at Minsk-Mazowiecki. The final participant, Greece flew with two F-4E Phantom IIs from Andravída, where they are assigned to 117 Combat Wing. The Phantom was the oldest participant at the TWM2017 exercise. At the beginning and end of the exercise, several transport aircraft arrived to support the participants on their journeys to and from Florennes.
The Tactical Weapons Meet is a relatively small scale exercise, aimed at the training of young pilots at section leader level (Level II/III, see the Pilot ratings below). For the latest fighter pilots of the Belgian Air Force and its partners, the TWM is an ideal way to qualify these pilots to Level III. The training focuses on two-ship leadership in which the pilot will act as flight leader of the formation. During the training, the pilots will also learn in an international context what the capabilities and limitations of each other’s aircraft are. In addition to the qualifications, many young pilots will also train for the first time in NATO cooperation. For most pilots, the TWM is the first training where they fly against dissimilar aircraft types, the participating aircraft therefore always leaving in pairs during their missions. The different two-ship formations then meet each other in air-to-air engagements.
An Italian Air Force Eurofighter with Polish MiG-29s on the tarmac at Florennes
Apart from air combat training, the formations are also used to simulate attacks on ground targets. Building leadership skills during these scenarios is the main objective here. In the past, this kind of training for young pilots was mostly completed within their own squadrons. However, training opportunities such as the TWM2017 are intended to be continued in the future, because training in this environment of multinational collaboration is very effective for young NATO pilots. While No.1 Squadron organised and hosted the exercise this year, the intention is for other NATO squadrons and bases to host the exercise next year and beyond.
The Belgian organisers hope that this dedicated exercise for the younger pilots will get a follow-up for next year, “as there is a need for these kinds of exercises, to prepare the younger pilots for the larger exercises as Frisian Flag or Red Flag.”
Pilot ratings
When pilots participate in exercises like the TWM2017, it is important to ascertain how far the participants are with their skill levels. There are a total of five qualification levels for operational pilots, which indicate their skills.
A pilot starts operational flying after his basic training as a Level I pilot. This means he or she can fly the fighter and knows the basic procedures, but has not yet undergone any tactical training. At Level II, the pilot is combat ready and can fly as wingman on a mission, having completed the full Mission Qualification Training Syllabus. A Level III qualified pilot is able to take leadership in a scenario for the first time, acting as a Flight Lead for a two-ship flight. Training for Level III focuses primarily on leadership, involving pilots in briefings and de-briefings.
The next step is Level IV, where a qualified pilot is able to lead a four-ship formation. Level IV is more extensive than Level III, but the pilot is still not yet a Mission Commander. An intermediate level is Level IVi, which is closest to a flight instructor on an aircraft type. A Level IVi pilot can also train other pilots in addition to leading a four-ship. The highest level is Level V, which is a highly experienced and fully qualified fighter pilot. In the United States, a Level V in the Navy would be referred to as a ‘Top Gun’ graduate, and in Europe, could be referred to as a Fighter Weapon Instructor Course qualified pilot.
Text and photos: Alex van Noije & Joris van Boven