349 Fighter Squadron

November 20, 2009 – From 20^th until 29^th of November 349 sqn flew out to Monte Real Airbase in Portugal for the yearly squadron move. Purpose of this move was to participate in Real Warm ‘09 organized by the Portuguese Air Force, to strengthen the ties with Esquadra 301 and to have good time with the whole squadron. The exercise Real Warm ’09 comprised a real world scenario with different types of missions to be flown like (X)CAS,NTISR, slow mover protection, offensive and defensive counter-air. Other aircraft the squadron saw airborne were: E-3 AWACS, F-16C(Polish Air Force), F-1, F/A-18, Typhoon, CASA-235. Some 40 missions were flown despite the sometimes challenging weather and sea state. Aside from the operational work, some social activities were planned such as a ciy-trip to Porto and a karting challenge with Esquadra 301.

October 18, 2009 - From 18th October untill 4th November 2009, the international Falcon Air Meet was held by the Jordanian Air Force in Azraq. Several nations, users of the F-16, were invited to this event. 349 Squadron participated.

Belgium and Jordan have maintained excellent bilateral relations for decades. These are widely translated in their participation in military exchange programs. The Jordanian Falcons (an acrobatic air patrol) have taken for several years in the Belgian airshows and the sale of Belgian F-16's to Jordan made the relationship between the Belgian and the Jordanian air force even more intense.

The detachment of 349 squadron from Kleine Brogel Air Base, led by Captain Kris Van De Putte, participated with 3 F-16's and 42 men of various specializations. The aircraft were to participate in various joint exercises during this meeting, including simulated air combat and precision ground attacks, but also other events such as a race for weapons specialists.

This exercise gave our troops the extra opportunity to gain experience in a region less known but with a landscape and weather conditions like the areas of operations in Afghanistan.

After 2007 this is the second time a Belgian detachment participated at the Falcon Air Meet. The FAM is a competitive air meeting between different nations employing F-16's. For 2 weeks the Royal Jordanian Air Force, the United States Air Force and the Belgian Air Force competed in airborne, ground and maintenance events. Due to commitments in Afghanistan and other training exercises the Belgian Air Component took part with only 3 aircraft while the USAF and RJAF could employ up to 4 aircraft for some specific events. The Belgian detachment consisted out of 29 technicians, 6 ops support personnel, 3 pilots, 2 ground controllers and 2 medics. The pilots and ops support personnel came from 349 Sqn which is based at Kleine Brogel.

On October the 20th the competition opened with a formation fly by which ended spectacularly in a split.

The second day was a scramble competition. This competition started with 2 pilots of each country who had to start up their aircraft as fast as possible.The pilots were wildly cheered on by the huge audience of Belgian, American and Jordanian military.

The second part consisted out of the interception of a transport aircraft. The engines roared and the fighting falcons majestically took to the air in chase of their prey, a CASA transport aircraft. All events were judged with the results being released at the end of the exercise. A perfect timing and a correct and safe execution are of the highest importance. But the FAM is above all a perfect opportunity to create a common operational understanding and foster better relations with Jordan. In March 2009 the last 8 F-16 MLU were flown in from Kleine Brogel to their new home in Jordan, Azraq air base. This concluded the sale of in total 16 Belgian F-16's to Jordan. The training of Jordan pilots and technicians in Belgium made the relationships between both countries and air forces even more intense.

The detachment was thoroughly briefed about the local customs and sensitivities. Jordanians are a very hospitable people and we made every effort not to offend their beliefs and customs. The 3 women of the Belgian detachment were treated with the utmost respect. Jordan is certainly a country well worth visiting for its cultural heritage, amazing scenery and helpful people.

October 8, 2009 – After a long period with a lot of commitments, the squadron is back at full strength. Our F-16 display pilot ‘Mitch’ is about to end his first demo season with the last air show in Duxford (11 October). The last months of 2009 however will still be quite challenging. From October 6th until November 5th 349 sqn will deploy 3 pilots and support personnel to Azraq airbase, Jordan, to participate in the Falcon Air Meet. With 3 F-16’s they will fly a mix of different scenarios, both air-to-air as air-to-ground. Next on the calendar is the Tactical Leadership Program in Albacete. During the month of November two pilots will participate in the first TLP course from its new homebase in Spain. To conclude, the yearly squadron move will take place in Monte Real, Portugal, for the last week of November. A chance to catch up and fly with the pilots from Esquadra 301, some of whom have been exchange pilots in 349 sqn.

September 14-25, 2009 – During the NATO Tigermeet 2009, 349 sqn supported the exercise scenario as Red Air. A total of 6 F-16s – 2 jets flown by OCU pilots- flew as aggressors against the COMAO scheduled every afternoon. Simulating a mix of enemy aircraft, they presented the Blue Air with a challenging and realistic air threat. In addition to this, the pilots also flew some smaller scale missions in the morning, this time as Blue Air. This gave them some good opportunities to practice CAS and DACT (Dissimilar Air Combat Training) with the different nations and aircraft involved.