Flying courses

Course objectives:

The TLP COMAO Flying Course aims to improve the tactical leadership skills and flying capabilities of front line fighter Mission Commanders (MCs), to improve the tactical interoperability of NATO Air Forces through exposure to tactics and capabilities of other Air Forces and to provide a flying laboratory for tactical employment concepts.

The course also enables exchange of information on weapons, tactics and capabilities between the participating Nations. By providing an environment that encourages the discussion and development of multi-national tactics, participants find the best way to employ the differing aircraft capabilities of the multi-national forces  in Composite Air Operations (COMAO).

Course syllabus:

During each course, a building block approach is used to progress the crews through a total of 12 missions:

• 3 “Synthetic” missions: planned as real life sorties but flown in a Simulation System. These missions aim to familiarize the participants with the planning process and COMAO procedures, start building up leadership skills and enhance teamwork and cooperation among aircrews.
• 9 Live missions: these missions aim at challenging the participants to develop the tactical leadership skills necessary to plan, brief, fly, and debrief fully integrated multi-national formations.

Each day a different crew leads the others through all phases of missions that grow in complexity during the course. Participants are exposed to a wide variety of missions that simulate different types of real world scenarios, updated frequently to incorporate modern warfare tactics and intergrade new weapon systems.

Missions are flown from Albacete Airbase and use both over land and over water training areas. Long range missions may use air to air refueling depending on availability. A wide range of surface targets are available.

Course length and start/finish of course:

Nominal course duration is three (3) and a half weeks [twenty-two(22) days]. The TLP COMAO Flying Course begins on Thursday of the first scheduled course week. The first seven (7) working days include all necessary Academic lectures and the three (3) Synthetic missions, followed by two (2) weeks filled with nine (9) consecutive live missions. Weekends are free but the third Saturday of the course is a working day. Aircraft should be ready to fly on the second Monday of the course and the last Friday is reserved for redeployment.

Actual course length may be adjusted to account for other TLP requirements and/or Spanish national or regional holidays that may disrupt course continuity.

The TLP COMAO Flying Course fly-window is one wave in the afternoon. Additionally, based on bilateral Spain-Your Nation’s technical agreement, and with previous coordination, it is also possible to fly the deployed aircraft by non-participant aircrews in an additional ‘shadow wave’ in the morning.

Course adressees:

The TLP COMAO Flying Course aims to educate tactical fast jet aircrews in the joint environment of COMAO. The lectures and missions are designed for the junior tactical aircrew or individuals with limited COMAO experience, typically at the Lieutenant/Captain (OF-1/2) level with more than 500 flight hours on type/in role.

The logical progression of the TLP course attendance is the Support Course, followed by the COMAO Synthetics Course, and finally the COMAO Flying Course.

The secondary adressees are personnel likely to be involved in supporting a COMAO’s planning or execution control in the future, primarily intelligence officers and fighter controllers and C2 operators.

Course composition:

The ideal number of participants for a flying course is as follows: 24 jets (12 pairs) with their respective aircrews, 6 GCI / C2 participants and 6 INTEL participants. Slot allocation is coordinated during the annual Scheduling Conference in the previous year.

Flying course application process:

If you wish to apply for this course, please follow the MoU nation planning/bidding process.

For non TLP MoU nations or individuals please identify the date of the next TLP Scheduling Conference (reference to TLP calendar) and send a representative to participate in the Planning process.

Short notice requests for contributions (especially on Red Air / Support assets) can be forwarded to the TLP Admin office through the TLP contact email as provided on this website (cadmin@tlp-info.org).

Joining instructions:

Once participation is confirmed from the specific course Mission Coordinator, the Detachment Commanders need to request the Flying Course Welcome package from TLP Administration’s Office (cadmin@tlp-info.org).
Useful documents can be found in the Flying course download section.

Course objectives:

The Intel participants during a flying course will provide intelligence support to the course by preparing mission support products and briefing and debriefing the fully integrated multi-national crews. Focus will be on analysis of advanced intelligence topics featuring threats, tactics and targets. Specific attention will be paid to leadership, briefing, and communication skills. While the main focus will be on Intel support to fixed wing fighter aircraft in COMAO, the course also provides for an opportunity to get acquainted with intelligence support to other air elements assets. The participants will need to show they can effectively support a COMAO in order to graduate from this suport Flying Course.

Course syllabus / Lesson inventory:

The academics part of the Flying course will comprise a selection of activities from the following table.

The course begins with a series of lectures introducing participants to Intel support to COMAO. These lectures are followed by threat systems and tactics analysis seminars aimed at providing participants with a basic refresher on factors that impact COMAO and planning. After the academics phase, the course will be composed of a variety of missions offering participants the opportunity to support the aircrew.

Course length and start/finish of course:

Nominal course duration is three (3) and a half weeks [twenty one (21) days]. The Intel support to  COMAO Flying Course begins on Thursday of the first scheduled course week. The seven (7) working days include all necessary Academic lectures and the three (3) Synthetic missions, followed by two (2) weeks filled with nine (9) consecutive live-fly missions. The third Saturday of the course is a working day.

Actual course length may be adjusted to account for concurrent flying/academic courses and/or Spanish national or regional holidays, instructor availability, and other TLP requirements that may impact course continuity.

Course addressees:

The NATO rank limitation is OR-3 through OF-2. All course participants need to bring a copy of their NATO SECRET security certification. English language proficiency: SLP 3322 (i.a.w. STANAG 6001) is mandatory in order to fully understand the lectures and to productively participate in the exercises. Please forward your English SLP certificate to cadmin@tlp-info.org at least one week in advance. Participants should have graduated from formal national intelligence training and should possess a basic understanding of threat aircraft and armament, SBAD systems, electronic warfare, and also demonstrate knowledge of NATO air operational doctrine (HQ AC RAMSTEIN 80-6 manual).

Course composition:

Up to 6 participants are expected. The target audience for this course are junior Intel personnel with 1-2 years working experience and posted at a tactical level fixed wing unit providing Intel support. Personnel who do not meet the course prerequisites need to request attendance well in advance through the usual registration process, because a waiver needs to be approved under the guidance of the TLP Intel staff and the TLP Chief of Academic Branch. At the end of the process, TLP Admin will confirm the final participation.

Flying course application process:

If you wish to apply for this course, please follow the MoU nation planning/bidding process as outlined in the TLP MoU .

For non TLP MoU nations or individuals, please check the date of the next TLP Scheduling Conference (reference to TLP calendar) and send a representative to participate in the planning process.

Short notice requests for attendance can be forwarded to the TLP Mission Coordinator through the TLP contact email as provided on this website cadmin@tlp-info.org.

Joining instructions:

Once participation is confirmed from the specific course Mission Coordinator, the Detachment Commanders need to request the Flying Course Welcome package from TLP Administration’s Office (cadmin@tlp-info.org).
Other useful documents can be found in the Flying Course download section.

Course objectives:

Each TLP flying course includes some GCI Controllers as participants. They are full course members and have to liaise with external agencies and to brief/debrief aircrew participants during the course. These personnel should also be prepared to give presentations covering their own areas of expertise.

The overall objectives for the participants are to improve individual support to COMAO, learn to work as a cohesive team in a multinational environment, develop basic leadership skills within an international setting, and gain appreciation and understanding of other COMAO assets.

Course composition and participants:

Up to 6 GCI / C2 participants are expected. They should have already received basic training and 1-2 years of experience supporting flying operations. Additionally, all C2 controllers are expected to have “live” controlled missions with a minimum of 6 aircraft, should have experience in joint and/or combined operations, in TEAM-controlling mission sets, e.g. A/A, A/G, AAR in one mission profile, or are already experienced in ACMI campaign or COMAO controlling.

Since flying courses are conducted in English and participants are expected to brief in English, we strongly urge participant nations to submit only sufficiently qualified personnel with an English proficiency level 3/3/3/2 SLP according STANAG 6001.

Course objectives:

The TLP OPFOR Training Programme offers RED AIR participants the opportunity to participate in the TLP COMAO Flying Course. It aims to improve the skills of the tactical fighter aircrews in the replication of adversary tactics.
The course also enables a free exchange of information on weapons, tactics and capabilities between the participating nations. By providing an environment that encourages the discussion and development of multi-national tactics, participants find the best way to employ the differing aircraft capabilities of the multi-national forces in an OPFOR environment.

Course syllabus:

The Programme is run by a dedicated TLP Staff’s OPFOR team  who specialize in OPFOR fighter tactics and SBAD employment with support from Intel and Air C2 specialists.

During each course, a building block approach is used to progress the crews through nine carefully structured sorties. These sorties are aimed at challenging the participants to develop the tactical leadership skills necessary to plan, brief, fly, and debrief fully integrated multi-national formations in the OPFOR role. Each day a different crew leads the others through all phases of missions that grow in complexity during the course. Missions will be flown from Albacete and we will use both overland and overseas training areas. Long range missions may use air to air refueling and use adjacent nation’s airspace.

The TLP OPFOR Training Programme syllabus is not releasable in the internet, please contact TLP to obtain a copy through authorized channels.

Course addressees:

The programme primarily intends to educate tactical fast jet aircrews or individuals with limited OPFOR experience, typically at – but not limited to Lieutenants or young Captains (OF-1/2).
The secondary target audience is intelligence officers, fighter controllers and C2ISR operators.

Flying course application process:

If you wish to apply for this course, please follow the MoU nation planning / bidding process as outlined in the TLP MoU and PoO.

For non TLP MoU nations or individuals please identify the date of the next TLP Scheduling Conference (reference to TLP calendar) and send a representative to participate in the Planning process.

Joining instructions:

Once participation is confirmed from the specific course Mission Coordinator, the Detachment Commanders need to request the Flying Course Welcome package from TLP Administration’s Office (cadmin@tlp-info.org).
Other useful documents can be found in the Flying Course download section.

The TLP maintenance section consists of 4 technical NCO’s, Spanish, French, American and British.

The coordinators ensure that all support equipment from the participating nations required for up to 30 aircraft is positioned correctly and available for use before the first mission. During the flying course the coordinators are the focal point for all technical issues, ensuring all problems are resolved at the earliest opportunity.

At the end of each course they ensure the recovery of equipment is completed in an efficient manner. The many cultural and language differences encountered are overcome by encouraging all nations to work together.

TLP Engineering:

It is vital that the Technical Officer from each visiting Squadron make contact with the TLP Maintenance team prior to their arrival. This is to ensure that the joining instructions are claerly understood; also your arrival plan and any other engineering requirements are catered for well in advance.

All Tech Officers/Engineers/Maintainers coming to TLP are to read carefully the instructions in the following documents within the welcome package which has been provided to their DETCO:

→ FC GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
→ TLP MAINTENANCE JOINING INSTRUCTIONS

All visiting nations CIS that is being utilised in the TLP HQ must be registered with the TLP DSO on arrival, the ‘Visiting nations TLP HQ CIS declaration form’ must be filled out and signed by the visiting nations authorising CIS agency.