Last week, between 20 and 24 October, Air Force Squadrons 201 – “Falcões” and 301 – “Jaguares” trained tactical operations in the Ocean Sky 25 exercise in Spain, which tested their ability to carry out joint missions with different air and ground forces.

The detachment, consisting of five F-16M aircraft and supported by 57 military personnel, operated from Gando Air Base in the Canary Islands, where they completed approximately 50 flight hours, resulting from 31 sorties carried out over the five days of the exercise.

Organised by the Ejército del Aire y del Espacio, Ocean Sky 25 saw the participation of several countries in this edition. In addition to Portugal and Spain, Germany, the United States of America, France, Greece, India and Italy were present, as well as NATO resources, with fighter and refuelling aircraft.

The main objectives of this exercise focused on consolidating joint training and increasing interoperability among participating forces through the execution of different types of missions, such as Defensive Counter-Air, Offensive Counter-Air, High-Value Airborne Asset Attack, and High-Value Airborne Asset Defence missions. 

By participating in exercises of this type, the Air Force reaffirms its commitment to maintaining high standards of readiness and operational effectiveness, demonstrating its ability to operate in a wide range of demanding scenarios.