‘Clear Sky 2018’
NATO exercises with the Ukraine
During 8-19 October 2018, skies over Ukraine had for the first time United States Air Force and eight other air arms in the Ukraine participate in the country’s largest aviation exercise, Clear Sky 2018. This Eastern European training exercise was aimed to “enhance capabilities in the region to secure air sovereignty with NATO partners and other allies.” Clear Sky 2018 focussed on air interdiction, air-toground exercises, air mobility operations, aeromedical evacuation, cyber defence and personnel recovery. Aircraft participating in Clear Sky 2018 were distributed across
several bases in the region, making this a true multinational and real-life exercise.
Some 700 personnel took part in the exercise, half of them from NATO member countries including Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom and the United States. Denmark and Estonia, not NATO members, also participated. Ukraine contributed some 350 military personnel from five tactical aviation units. Clear Sky 2018 aimed for NATO and allies to work together with the Ukraine, all this in close proximity to Russia.
Establishing and further developing such partnership in the region is the objective of NATO. As Major General C Garrison, United States Exercise Director for Clear Sky 2018, explained; “This is the first time we conducted an exercise maintaining NATO standards—and this close to the Russian border. Working according to high NATO standards and procedures during the exercise was aimed to make the Ukrainian Air Force interoperable with other NATO countries and their regional partners”.
Exercise goals
Speaking about the exercise conducted from the Starokostyantyniv Air Base in Ukraine, Colonel Evgen Bulatsyk, Commander of the 7th Tactical Air Brigade stated, “The Ukrainian Air Force’s main goal during the exercise was to enhance interoperability with the United States Air Force and other air forces of NATO. In addition, this was an ideal opportunity for our air and ground crews to improve their level of training. This exercise provided an unique opportunity to work closely with our allies and learn from them on how they operate and employ their aircraft in hostile situations. Exchanging experiences and skills is vital for the development of crews on both sides”.
Exercise operations
With bulk of the aircraft flying from Starokostyantyniv Air Base, operational planning was also conducted there. With upgrades performed over the last years on Ukrainian Air Force’s current fighters and bombers, each type was represented at the base. MiG-29MUIs from Vasylkiv, Sukhoi Su- 25MIs from Kulbakino, six McDonnell-Douglas F- 15Cs from the 144th Fighter Wing and Sukhoi Su-27P1Ms from Myrhorod joined the locally based Sukhoi Su- 24M/ MRs. Operating from Vinnytsia Air Base, together with the locally based Antonov An- 26s and Mil Mi-8s, was a single Lockheed C-130J from the 146th Airlift Wing. Tanker support was provided by Boeing KC-135s of the 126th Air Refuelling Wing operating from Powidz Air Base, Poland, and KC-135s from the 100th Air Refuelling Wing.
Major General Garrison explained; “The vast majority of participants from the United States were from the California Air National Guard, with six F-15s from 144 Fighter Wing, we were mainly focussing on air interdiction, air sovereignty and air-toair combat manoeuvring. All these missions were flown in accordance with NATO standards”. Apart from the personnel from Air National Guard units, the exercise also witnessed participation from the US Army and US Air Force.
Directly operating from Poland were Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds from 31 Baza Lotnicza Taktycznego. Also participating from their home base were the recently, acquired Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BMs from Baza 86 Aeriana in Romania. There
was cooperation between United States Air Force General Atomics MQ-9s and Ukrainian Air Force UAV- America PD-1 Unmanned Air Vehicles. The MQ- 9s operated from Miroslawiec Air Base, Poland, these Reapers having begun operations from Poland in May.
“25 years of partnership”
The State Partnership Programme (SPP) has been building relationships for 25 years and now includes 75 partnerships with 81 nations around the globe. Major General Garrison, stated; “The California Air National Guard has a long standing, 25- year relationship which is sponsored by the US Chief of Mission (UCoM). We came here to train together with the Ukrainian Army and Air Force. Clear Sky 2018 is the second air-centric exercise that we have done in the Ukraine within that 25-year period, the last air exercise participated being in 2011 and called Safe Sky. This exercise was focussed on air sovereignty and air defence procedures in preparation for the Euro Cup 2012. Clear Sky 2018 was completely on different scale since it covers a much broader spectrum of missions and was at the request of the Ukrainian Air Force, completely aligned with NATO interoperability. This exercise is built on those initial standards so that the Ukrainian Air Force can train and operate better with NATO and with its neighbours and regional partners”.