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It’s 7 o’ clock of the morning, it’s still dark and many people are already standing outside the barriers of Volkel Air Base, Southern countryside of Netherlands, waiting for the first take offs of the day.
But why are there so many enthusiasts with cameras and huge lenses just to capture the well known F-16s of the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (the Royal Netherlands Air Force)?
In fact something more is happening at Volkel AB: a big international military exercise is taking place involving more than ten different air forces belonging to NATO. This exercise, which takes place every year in a different European air base, is very particular and famous among all military forces and, of course, aviation enthusiasts.
The NATO Tiger Meet is not only an exercise, but also a sort of meeting and contest that’s reserved only to all NATO’s Squadrons which have the “tiger” as emblem of their unit. All crews present their aircraft painted in different and original ways following the tiger main theme. At the end of the exercise the best of each categories (“Silver Tiger Trophy”, “Best Flying Unit”, “Tiger Games Winner”, “Best Skit”, “Best Looking Uniform”, “Most Fancy Paintscheme”) wins a prestigious prize.
This year World Airshow News had the chance to follow the exercise and to see all of these beautiful “artistic masterpieces” very closely, despite the bad weather conditions.
The 2010 edition took place from October 4 to 15 and was hosted for the first time by the 313 Squadron of RNAF at its home base in Volkel.
Over the eight flying days 715 missions where planned and 644 where actually flown by over 50 aircraft.
The Squadrons located at Volkel during the exercise this year were: the local 313 Sqn on F-16s AM/BM, the EC01.012 on Mirage 2000s C/B from Cabrai AB (France), the ECE 05.330 on Mirage 2000s from Mont-de-Marsan AB (France), the 221 Sqn on Mi-24Vs Hind from Namest AB (Czech Republic), the Aufklarungsgeschwader 51 on Tornados IDS from Schleswig-Jagel AB (Germany), the 211 Sqn on JAS-39s C/D Gripen from Caslav AB (Czech Republic), the 21° Gruppo on AB-212s ICO from Grazzanise AB (Italy), the 338 Sqn on F-16s AM/BM from Orland AB (Norway), the 591 sqn on JAS-39s C/D Gripen from Kecskemét AB (Hungary), the Jet Training Sqn on Saab OE105s from Vogler AB (Austria), the Jagdbomberstaffel 321 on Tornado ECR from Lechfeld AB (Germany) and the 192 Filo on F-16s C/D from Balikesir AB (Turkey).
The AWACS from 1 Sqn NATO AEWCF flew from its Main Operating Base Geilenkirchen (Germany), and an Ohio ANG KC-135 tanker flew exclusively for the Tiger Meet from Eindhoven AB (The Netherlands).
Two Squadrons delegations participated to the exercise as “observers”: the Hellenic Air Force 335 Mira and the polish 6 ELT, both equipped with the F-16 Block 52+.
The Swiss Air Force Hornets of Fliegerstaffel 11 and the Portuguese Air Force F-16s MLU of Esquadra 301 visited the exercise during the week end only.
The winners of NATO Tiger Meet 2010 contest are:
Who are gonna be the winners of the next edition? Let’s see it at Nato Tiger Meet 2011 that will take place from May 9 to 20, 2011 at Cambrai AB, France.