10-Aug-2020Source: European Defence Agency
Having to let go of something close, doesn’t need to have a sense of loss. When the European Defence Agency (EDA) sees its home-grown Helicopter Exercise Programme, its Helicopter Tactics Course and its Helicopter Tactics Instructors Course move to the new permanent Multinational Helicopter Training Centre (MHTC) in Portugal by the end of 2022, after many successful years at... Read more
23-May-2019Source: EDA
In the margins of EDA Steering Board, 22 Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden) and EDA signed a new programme that will facilitate the granting of cross-border surface and air movement permissions. The programme is... Read more
15-Feb-2019Source: European Defence Agency
The European Defence Agency has just concluded multiple framework contracts with Global Helicopter Service GMBH, Elitaliana S.R.L. and Starlite Aviation Operations Ltd. for the provision of fixed and rotary wings medical evacuation services in the context of EDA’s Support of Operations. The contracts run until January 2023 for a maximum value of 120 million Euro.... Read more
12-Dec-2018Source: EDA
Some 60 helicopter tactics specialists from 14 EDA Member States as well as representatives of the EDA Helicopter Chief Instructor Team, the Joint Air Power Competence Centre (JAPCC), the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), the Austrian Air Force Command and the Austrian Defence Industry met early this month in Salzburg for the 9th Helicopter... Read more
8-May-2017Source: EDA
Exercise FIRE BLADE 2017 (FB17) will take place at Papa Airbase in Hungary from 1-12 May 2017 with around 500 personnel and 16 aircraft taking part from 5 Member States. This is the 11th Helicopter exercise to be conducted under the umbrella of EDA’s Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP). The European Defence Agency continues to offer... Read more
4-May-2017Source: EDA
Following a proposal by Federica Mogherini, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission, as Head of the European Defence Agency, EDA Member States have decided unanimously to extend the initial three year mandate of Jorge Domecq as Chief Executive of the Agency for an additional two years,... Read more
28-Mar-2017Source: EDA
The 5th in the series of Helicopter Tactics Instructors Courses (HTIC) to be ran by EDA on behalf of Member States will kick off on 15 May 2017 at Royal Air Force (RAF) Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire in the United Kingdom. The HTIC has grown significantly over the four previous courses both in terms of scope and... Read more
14-Apr-2016Source: EDA
Since the creation of the European Defence Agency in 2004, support to the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and to EU operations has been one of EDA’s core missions. Several activities are now ongoing to develop the support of CSDP military and civilian operations or missions as well as EU Battlegroups at the request... Read more
24-Mar-2016Source: EDA
Exercise COLD BLADE 2016, hosted by the Finnish Defence Forces, was formally completed Wednesday evening March 16th 2016 by the Chief of Finnish Army Aviation, LtCol Jaro Kesänen. At exercise closure, a total of 290 hours had been flown on 156 missions with 3 participating Member States (Finland and Germany, as well as Sweden which sent... Read more
25-Jun-2015Source: EDA
More than 30 helicopters and 1000 military personnel have gathered 80 kilometers north of Rome for Italian Blade 2015, this year’s largest military rotary-wing exercise in Europe. Crews from seven different countries have started training together yesterday using joint procedures and tactics during missions of increasing complexity. After three successful live-flying events hosted by Portugal... Read more
15-May-2014Source: EDA
The course, jointly hosted by the Sweden and the UK, will train both a new cadre of tactics instructors as well as delivering bespoke instructional training to returning graduates from last year. In total the course lasts eight weeks across two phases, a Classroom and Simulator Phase which ran between March 23 and April 13... Read more
2-Aug-2013Source: EDA
Participants of HB13 celebrated on 31 July the end of HB13 exercise with an official closing ceremony. More than 750 personnel from five countries (Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal) participated in the successful second edition of the exercise, taking place in Portugal as of 17 July. During HB13 a total of 324 sorties... Read more
31-May-2013Source: EDA
The aim of course is to give selected European helicopter aircrew tactical depth and expertise, leading to an enhanced awareness of helicopter tactics and employment and multi-national integration. At the end of the course graduates are adept at imparting tactical instruction during training and on operations and are also competent in providing helicopter tactical advice... Read more
26-Feb-2013Source: EDA
In his last appointment Mr Goos headed the Commissariat for Military Production in the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs. His responsibilities included the consolidation of the Defence and Security related industry in the Netherlands. From 1997 until 2001 the Mr Goos was assigned to the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Washington D.C. as Counsellor for Defence... Read more
18-Dec-2012Source: European Defence Agency
During the EDA Steering Board meeting held on 19 November 2012, ministers of defence of twelve Member States signed the Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP) Program Arrangement (PA). This act formally transitioned the HEP to a Category B programme, where twelve nations commit their crews and helicopters to a ten-year programme, a concrete indication that training... Read more
28-Nov-2012Source: European Defence Agency
The third Helicopter Tactics Symposium was held from 19 – 21 November in Luxembourg. 43 participants from 16 Member States (AT, BE, BG, CZ, DE, ES, EE, FI, FR, HU, IT, LU, NL, PT, SE, UK) and additional guests from New Zeeland and the Joint Air Power Competence Centre exchanged views on the status of... Read more
11-Oct-2012Source: European Defence Agency
With the redeployment of the last helicopters and ground forces, Green Blade 2012 ends last Friday. Three weeks, 49 missions and 487 flying hours later, the 550 participants from four countries part from the Belgian Air Base Kleine-Brogel better trained and better prepared for multinational missions. “Green Blade 2012 was a great success. All participants... Read more
5-Jul-2012Source: European Defence Agency
One of the largest helicopter exercises in Europe gets under way today. Some 2700 personnel from all three services and seven countries will take part in Exercise Hot Blade from 4-19 July. The exercise forms part of the European Defence Agency’s Helicopter Training Programme. Exercise Hot Blade draws on forces from Portugal (the hosts), and... Read more
4-Jul-2012Source: European Defence Agency
The European Defence Agency is pleased to announce the appointment of Air Commodore Pete Round as the Capability Director. A highly experienced officer, he joined the RAF as an officer in 1979, before reading Metallurgy at Manchester University. After qualifying as a RAF pilot, he flew Buccaneers in the maritime strike attack role. Since then,... Read more
9-Nov-2011Source: European Defence Agency
As part of the EDA Helicopter Training Programme, Luxembourg hosts the second EDA Helicopter Tactics Symposium. The two-day symposium will take place at the Château de Senningen. This symposium forms an integral part of the Helicopter Training Programme and is designed to allow our helicopter crews to share experiences, gain knowledge of the current threats... Read more
13-May-2011Source: AgustaWestland
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that it has signed a contract with the European Defence Agency for the provision of an Interim Helicopter Tactics Training Service. In this Category B EDA programme the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom (the contributing Member States) have formally agreed to collaborate... Read more
