C-130 Hercules News

August 31, 2015 (by Asif Shamim) - Two Air Force Reserve C-130 wings are providing aircraft, aircrews and support personnel for Exercise Swift Response 15, a multinational training event in Germany, Romania, Bulgaria and Italy , Aug. 18 - Sept.12 .
The 934th Airlift Wing, Minneapolis-St. Paul Air Reserve Station, Minnesota, is providing three C-130Hs and the 914th AW, Niagara Falls ARS, N.Y., two C-130Hs for this Total Force exercise.

This is the first iteration of the exercise, designed around a U.S. Army Brigade-level multinational joint forcible entry operation involving approximately 3,000 U.S. personnel. The exercise is part of U.S. European Command's Joint Exercise Program designed to enhance joint combined interoperability with allied nations.
The equipment being brought to Swift Response is typical of an airborne unit that is demonstrating its ability to rapidly deploy from the U.S. The equipment includes but may not be limited to individual and crew served weapon systems, High Mobility Wheeled Vehicles, artillery pieces, and engineering equipment.


The scenario exercises a joint, multinational force on forcible entry operations that span four countries over a 72-hour period. The exercise demonstrates NATO forces and USEUCOM ability to penetrate contested air space and establish a forward base of operations. U.S. aircraft and helicopter raids in three countries set the stage for a large multinational airborne airfield seizure exercise. Once the forcible entry objective has been achieved, follow-on training will focus on bringing in and building up rapid combat power, including artillery, mechanized and motorized forces.