JANUARY 31, 2025 – Together, the 48th Fighter Wing and Royal Air Force co-hosted the exercise Point Blank 25-1 across multiple installations within the United Kingdom Jan. 21-31.
The historic Agile Combat Employment (ACE) exercise, originating from the WWII Allied bomber offensive POINTBLANK, now conducted regularly at RAF Lakenheath, focused on Dutch, Norwegian and UK integration, Defensive, offensive counter-air, and other fighter maneuvers, as well as hot-pit refueling.
“As the Air Force progresses with how we plan and prepare for changes to warfighting, it’s crucial for us to integrate continuously with our NATO partners and get after ACE movements,” said 1st Lt. Joshua Hettinger, 495th Fighter Generation Squadron flight commander. “This exercise highlighted important functions previous iterations did not capture by allowing us to flex our command and control functions across the installations, ultimately showcasing the great work we are doing with our brethren in the Royal Air Force and other partners.”
The 48th FW, 352nd Special Operations Wing, 100th Air Refueling Wing, 606th Air Control Squadron, 19th Electronic Warfare Squadron, Royal Air Force, Royal Netherlands Air Force and Norwegian Special Forces participated in Point Blank 25-1.
“The Air Force is ever-evolving,” said 1st Lt. Julian Martin, 493rd FGS sortie generation flight commander. “As we focus more on ACE concepts and missions to prepare for potential future conflicts, large-scale exercises like this are the best way to practice.”
Point Blank is a recurring exercise initiative, designed to increase tactical proficiency of U.S., U.K. Ministry of Defense and other NATO forces.
“For the Dutch fighter squadrons, the training and integration we get with the United States and other partners is really important when it comes to building a strong force,” said a Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35 pilot assigned to the 313 Squadron out of Volkel Air Base. “It doesn’t matter which country is flying the aircraft, so long as we can work together. Aside from the technical portion, the biggest gain we get from this large-scale exercise is the connections built with our USAF colleagues.
Point Blank saw a high volume of rapid aircraft launches from multiple locations across Northern Europe, with 60 aircraft from three nations flying each day. The exercise is particularly notable for its inclusion of cross-platform and cross-country servicing, which involved trained maintainers servicing aircraft from different platforms and nations.
“I think the biggest takeaway from Point Blank is that we have the capabilities to accomplish these types of goals,” said Hettinger. “We train really hard and this exercise was the perfect way to prove to ourselves and our NATO partners that we’re not only capable of integrating, but also making big things happen.”
Multilateral exercises like this increase interoperability and collective readiness, deter potential adversaries and ensure air sovereignty in the European theater.
Story by Staff Sgt. Allison Payne
48th Fighter Wing