Page 16 - ADT MARCH 2021 Online Magazine

Research, and Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and and cooperative security. The June 2021 NATO
Reconnaissance (ISTAR) assets. summit reiterated the alliance's commitment to
According to the United States Congressional Research Service, "enhancing our long-standing engagement in
the F-35 fifth-generation aircraft “incorporate the most modern the MENA region" and to "build stronger secu-
technology,” combining “new developments such as thrust vec- rity and defence institutions and capacities, [ REPORT ]
toring, composite materials, stealth technology, advanced radar promote interoperability, and help to counter
and sensors, and integrated avionics to greatly improve situa- terrorism.”
tional awareness.” Indeed, in the modern information-centric battle
space, the F-35 has unparalleled sensory capabilities. The jet’s NATO has developed bilateral activities through
core systems include an AN/APG-81 active electronically scanned the Individual Partnership and Cooperation
array (AESA) radar, a passive AN/AAQ-37 Distributed Aperture Program agreements, and more specifi-
System (DAS), the Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) and cally through the Partnership Interoperability
an integrated Communications, Navigation and Identification (CNI) Initiative, with agreements with Jordan, Morocco
avionics suite. and Tunisia; and through the Defence and
Related Security Capacity Building Initiative,
“This idea of working together means being able to communicate with agreements with Iraq, Jordan and Tunisia.
across the airways - be that over the radio, data link or visually - These initiatives aim at developing interoper-
and Typhoon is able to use all three to create the interoperability,” ability of partners' forces with NATO's and at
according to BAE Systems. Similarly, the U.S Navy says that “the strengthening their defence capacities through
commonality designed into the joint F-35 program will minimise advising on defence and security-sector reform,
acquisition and operating costs of Navy and Marine Corps tactical institution-building, development of local forces
aircraft, and allow enhanced interoperability with the US Air Force, through education and training, or advice and
and the eight partner nations participating in the development of assistance in specialised areas.
this aircraft. The U.S. FY2022 defence budget requested about
US$9.4 billion in procurement funding for the F-35 program. This In the crisis-management domain, NATO has
would fund the procurement of 48 F-35As for the Air Force, 17 run six operations in the MENA since 2011,
F-35Bs for the Marine Corps, 20 F-35Cs for the Navy and Marines, including Operation Unified Protector in Libya
advance procurement for future aircraft, and continuing modifi- (in 2011) and two training missions in Iraq
cations. Current Department of Defence plans call for acquiring (from 2004 to 2011 and then since 2018). It
a total of 2,456 F-35s. Allies are expected to purchase hundreds was also involved in maritime security, with
of additional F-35s, and eight nations are cost-sharing partners in Operation Ocean Shield in the Gulf of Aden
the program with the United States (2008-2015) and Operation Sea Guardian in
the Mediterranean (since 2016). Finally, NATO
NATO and the MENA provides support, mainly through its AWACS
Interoperability has been developed to help pre-identified nations aircraft, to the Global Coalition against ISIS.
work together, and NATO represents this line of thinking. Its stan- The Warning and Control System (AWACS)
dards and training have been critical to multinational coalitions from programs-is viewed as a major interoperability
the first Gulf War to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. In the coopera- success.
tive-security domain, NATO has been involved in the Middle East
and North Africa (MENA) at different levels over the last decade, Interoperability Exercises
in activities that fall within its two core tasks of crisis management Multinational exercises contribute variously to
building multinational interoperability. There
have been several joint exercises in the region
in recent years involving a growing roster of
countries. Last March, the Indian Air Force
participated in an annual multinational air exer-
cise, Desert Flag VI hosted by the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) with six Su-30 MKI, two C-17
and one IL-78 tanker aircraft. Apart from IAF,
the multinational air exercise involved air forces
from the United States, France, South Korea,
Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, along with Greece,
Jordon, Kuwait and Egypt as observers.

According to an official of the Indian Ministry
of Defense the large-scale exercise involved
diverse fighter aircraft from across the globe
and provided the participating forces including

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