It's quite a strange timing this year's STABANTE exercice is placed in the vincinity of some UNESCO World Heritages - with ISIS Terrorists destroying some of them in Iraq and Syria the same time ....
In reality it's the same scenario like every year - guarding an International Conference with multiple assets on ground and in the air. This time the center of interest is in the area of Watch Valley, with the city of La Chaux-de-Fonds been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status for her exceptional universal value.
Some Info to La Chaux-de-Fonds out of wikipedia:
La Chaux-de-Fonds is a Swiss city of the district of La Chaux-de-Fonds in the canton of Neuchâtel. It is located in the Jura mountains at an altitude of 1000 m, a few kilometres south of the French border. After Geneva and Lausanne, it is the third largest city located completely in the Romandie, the French-speaking part of the country, with a population (as of December 2013) of 38,699.
The city was founded in 1656. Its growth and prosperity is mainly bound up with the watch making industry. It is the most important centre of the watch making industry in the area known as the Watch Valley. Completely destroyed by a fire in 1794 La Chaux-de-Fonds was rebuilt following a grid street plan, which was and is still original among Swiss cities. Karl Marx said about the very special urban design of the city that it was a "city-factory". The famous architect Le Corbusier, the writer Blaise Cendrars and the car maker Louis Chevrolet were born there. La Chaux-de-Fonds is a renowned centre of Art nouveau.
Main base for jet aircrafts will be PAYERNE, holding an repetition course the same time with Esc d'AV 5 on F-5 Tiger II and Fighter Squadron 17 on Hornet. There are some planned flights during the Weekend !
Repetition course: March 02nd 'till 27th KVK/WK (FDT) FlPl Kdo 11, Payerne (CH)
STABANTE with restricted Airspace: Friday 20.03.2015 07:00 UTC 'till 17:00 UTC, and Saturday, 21.03.2015 07:00 UTC 'till Wednesday, 25.03.2015 07:00 UTC.
Some Pics taken due this exercise ;)
Our Government is supporting a healthprogram called 'Bike to Work' - something happened on Swiss Military Airfields every day ;) Note the temporary STBY sticker for CAP mission of this (NC)PC-7.
This Hornet Pilot has noted some strange person with a big lens somewhere in the field. Controlling if it's a manpad or another thread (please use some flares next time :D )
One of many ground defense units in the area of the exercise - RAPIER
An Spain Air Force bizjet is identified by two F-5 Tiger II
Ride with an Cougar to Courtelary, an civil airfield used as temporary base near La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Snipers ready to take off
Hornet in final preparations for a 15' scramble
