What is it that Makes this Squadron Unique?
What is it that Makes this Squadron Unique?
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Ten aircraft, two nations, one team: there has never been anything like this in Europe. On 9 March 2022, the first German-French Air Transport Squadron officially started its service in Évreux in Normandy. At present, its fleet comprises four French C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, two of them in the tanker version, and one German C-130J. By 2024, the fleet will be complete with an additional five German aircraft. The unit will then include a total of around 300 soldiers from both nations.
What is special about this unit is the level of integration: for the very first time, French and German pilots, mechanics, avionics specialists and technical loadmasters live, train and work together in the same place. Binational crews fly the missions and binational teams maintain the French and German aircraft on the ground.
The new binational squadron is a milestone for further cooperation between the German Air Force and the French Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace. Here, both sides benefit from each other’s existing experience. In order to realize this unique level of cooperation, uniform basic documents were prepared, for example for joint flight and maintenance operations. These can be used as a blueprint for further cooperation in Europe.