Ramstein Legacy: Nato conducts air and missile defence exercise on eastern flank

Aircrews and ground forces from 20 Nato countries have taken part in an integrated air and missile defence (IAMD) exercise called Ramstein Legacy.

Personnel from across the alliance headed to Romania and Bulgaria to participate in the exercise.

Ramstein Legacy is Nato's leading IAMD drill and allows member countries to test their command and control, airborne early warning and air defence system weapon-firing capabilities.

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According to Major Tomas Kurpas, Slovak project officer for exercise, 3,200 personnel took part, with hosts Bulgaria and Romania employing 22 firing units and well over 30 flying assets.

"Activities were steered in 12 national command and control networks under the overall control of control and reporting centres in Bulgaria and Romania and Nato and Turkish airborne warning and control system aircraft," he said.

"Unified control and efficient integration of these systems enable us to successfully conduct our objective of safely executing live and simulated mission."

Counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) were also experimented with during the exercise, with lessons from Ukraine's defence against Russian occupying forces providing the base for such tests.