Triple alliance: Helicopter crews warm up together before heading to the cold

Dutch and British aircrews have carried out a number of sorties over Salisbury Plain as they prepare to operate together in the Arctic next year.

Crews from the Commando Helicopter Force and 860 Squadron from the Royal Netherlands Air Force are preparing for a major exercise on Nato's northern flank.

The joint workout, flying out of Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset, is the fourth in a series of exercises codenamed Guardian Defender.

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Two nations, one aim

The crews from the two nations have been helping each other deepen their operational understanding, sharing knowledge and expertise to ultimately create a joint force capable of working side by side on the frontline.

Guardian Defender builds on more than half a century of operations together under the command of the UK/Netherlands Amphibious Force.

Europe's oldest force of its kind has seen the two countries share training, tactics and even kit since 1973.

A long history of cooperation

But links between the two nations go back even further – to the Second World War.

860 Naval Air Squadron – as it was previously known – was in British service during WW2, but was comprised of Dutch pilots who had escaped mainland Europe to take the fight back to the Nazis.

The squadron was transferred to the Netherlands in 1946 after operating the Fairey Swordfish, and later the Fairey Barracuda, as a bomber/reconnaissance squadron.

The modern version of 860 Squadron has maintained its strong links to the UK and organised this year's Guardian Defender, which saw the unit work with 846, 845 and 847 Naval Air Squadrons – which make up the Commando Helicopter Force.

Captives and casualties

The exercise also included the CHF's Mobile Air Operations Teams and Military Training Unit, with the aircraft practising a range of operational scenarios, including the extraction of casualties and captured personnel.

All of this leads up to Exercise Cold Response, which will see up to 25,000 allied personnel, ships and aircraft come together across the waters and coastlines of northern Norway to show the strength and unity of the alliance in the region.

The CHF also recently deployed Merlin aircraft along with their engineers for two weeks with the Royal Netherlands Navy amphibious ship HNLMS Johan de Witt for missions off the UK and French coasts.