USAFE Airmen kick off Sniper Lance 2007

  • Published
  • By Capt. Jamie Humphries
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU, Romania (AFNEWS) --  More than 200 U.S. Air Forces in Europe Airmen arrived here April 20 to participate in Exercise Sniper Lance 2007.

Sniper Lance aims to provide realistic combat flight training for Air Force F-15 Eagles, KC-135 Stratotankers and Romanian Air Force MiG-21s based out of the 86th Air Base near the town of Fetesti.

The Airmen, mostly from Royal Air Force Mildenhall and Lakenheath in England, will team with their Romanian counterparts to practice dissimilar air combat maneuvers as well as air-to-air refueling.

"This exercise provides a great opportunity to get quality training as well as the chance to work closely with our Romanian allies," said Capt. George Dibble, a 493rd Fighter Squadron intelligence officer from RAF Lakenheath.

Although working with Romanian allies will prove to be beneficial, the training the crews will receive in a realistic simulated combat environment is something that's hard to measure.

"The air space we'll be training in will enhance our capabilities and provide realistic training opportunities we have difficulty finding in Western Europe," said Capt. Jesus Figueroa of the 493rd FS.

In 2005, U.S. and Romanian officials signed a Presence Agreement, which allowed for the presence of U.S. forces beginning in 2007. The Romanian parliament ratified the agreement in June 2006.