The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) National Air Operations Center (NAOC) chief Brigadier General Jan Ove Rygg is in charge of this year's drills, which will run through June 2. This is the second such multinational training exercise held by the Scandinavian neighbors since 2013, with plans to continue them every second year.
"The aim is to exercise and train units in the orchestration and conduct of complex air operations, in close relations to NATO partners," Brig. Gen. Rygg said, as quoted in the Norwegian Armed Forces press release in the run-up to the training sessions.
The ACE 2015 exercise director added that Northern Europe's "unique cross border airspace makes ACE 2015 a one of a kind training ground for increasing interoperability and skills in all parts of the chain."
Among the aircraft taking part in ACE 2015 will be multirole fighters including Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, Dassault Mirage 2000, Eurofighter Typhoon, SAAB JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft, Boeing F/A-18 Hornet supersonic fighter and attack aircraft and Panavia Tornado GR4 combat aircraft.
NATO airborne early warning and control jets, referred to as AWACS, multirole jets and electronic warfare DA-20 Jet Falcons will assume supporting roles in the multinational exercises.
The ACE 2015 operational theater will be divided between northeast Norway's Bodo Air Station, northern Finland's Rovaniemi Air Force base and northwest Sweden's Kallas, the Norwegian Armed Forces press release said.
All three of the High North locations are in close proximity to the Arctic Circle, a high-interest region for Russia, the United States, Canada, Denmark and Norway.
Arctic Challenge Exercise drills began in 2009 on the basis of Sweden's Nordic Air Meet and Finnish-Swedish cross border training.
