31st Fighter Wing partners with Poland for Nickel Strike

AVIANO AIR BASE, ITALY

10.16.2019

Story by Staff Sgt. Rebeccah Woodrow 

31st Fighter Wing

U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons and Airmen from the 555th Fighter Squadron, 555th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 31st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 31st Munitions Squadron, and the 31st Operational Support Squadron worked side by side to deliver combat airpower with NATO allies at Lask Air Base, Poland from Sept. 24 to 26, 2019.
The U.S. and Polish Air Forces participated in Nickel Strike, an exercise for rapid bi-lateral response to simulated hostile aggression. The training focused on partnering with Baltic allies to generate command of defensive fighter operations in as little time and with as little notice as possible.
Commander of the 555th Fighter Squadron, Lt. Col. Beau E. Diers, said, “The total scenario included a no-notice recall for operations, maintenance, and munitions to generate simulated combat configured aircraft for execution of mission within 24 hours.”
Demonstrations of combat ability, readiness, and interoperability between American and Polish forces, such as the ones during Nickel Strike, allow for thorough tactical training and strengthening of regional partnerships.
“Nickel Strike demonstrated the ability to rapidly deploy airpower directly into a combat scenario and then recover to a NATO partner’s base for servicing in order to quickly turn for follow-on missions,” said Diers. “Furthermore, we validated bi-lateral and NATO interoperability flying mixed formation defensive combat air patrols with Polish F-16s under command and control of the Polish AOC all connected via a common datalink network.”
From Italy to Poland, the 31st Fighter Wing and its allies successfully tested Agile Combat Employment operations, sharpening their skills and staying rapidly ready to deploy anywhere, any time.

• Date Taken: 10.16.2019
• Date Posted: 10.16.2019 03:45
• Story ID: 347794
• Location: AVIANO AIR BASE, IT