Ramstein Flag - March 2025

Paul Newbold reports from Leeuwarden air base, in the Netherlands on the multi-national NATO exercise. 

Ramstein Flag 2025 involved 15 NATO nations, testing their readiness in air superiority, agile combat deployment and other capabilities. The exercise centred around NATO's "Deter and Defend" idea.

Over 90 aircraft of all types were involved, most based at Leeuwarden hence our visit to this base, but also some based at RAF Marham UK (Spanish F/A-18 Hornets), RAF Fairford UK (Romanian and Turkish F-16s and Turkish KC-135 tanker) and various home based assets flying from their home bases. 

We decided to drive from the UK on March 30th and first spent a couple of days at Norvenich air base Germany, Tornado hunting in the twilight of that jets career, being very lucky to witness an elephant walk of 21 EF2000s and Tornados to celebrate the base commanders promotion to a higher level. 

We then drove to Leeuwarden on Wednesday April 2nd for the only mission each day which started at 1630hrs with the jets returning between 1830 and 1930hrs. See images included in the article of the "Fast Jet" action in Europe.

Photography by Paul Newbold