Steering Committee wraps up 60th meeting

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Adawn Kelsey
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  The Steering Committee for the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training program completed the 60th bi-annual meeting March 25 at Sheppard.

Officials from 13 international air forces discussed topics such as extending the Memorandum of Understanding , a new trainer aircraft and program essentials like the syllabus and costs for the program.

Royal Norwegian air force Brig. Gen. Morten Klever, Steering Committee chair, said the meeting was very productive and he felt the overall goal was met.

"All the nations present seemed very happy with the results and agreed on the topics that were brought to the table," he said. "We discussed extending the MOU further after 2016 and we need to start negotiations, a process we started at last year's meeting in Berlin, Germany. A lot of the focus was on the MOU and of course all the other things that go in the background like the budgeting."

Col. Kevin Schneider, 80th Flying Training Wing commander, said each of the partners agreed to continue participating in the program and discussed expanding ENJJPT to include countries new to NATO.

"As we move into the future and decide exactly what the memorandum of understanding is going to look like, or extend it as it is for a time, we would also possibly look at amendments or changes potentially to open the doors to other NATO partners," he said. "Since the MOU was initially signed, it was only 12 nations, NATO has more than doubled in that time."
General Klever said each country that would like to join the ENJJPT program would be considered case by case, according to the MOU.

"We will look into all requests and consider everyone equally according to the MOU," the general said. "The more countries that participate, it makes the program stronger and more affordable for everyone. It also depends on the actual capacity of the program, and to use the whole capacity depends on the different countries."

The colonel said there are things happening around the world that reflect the training and relationships that are built in the ENJJPT program.

"When you take a look at what's going on around the world this week, and NATO is asked to do more and more combat operations, we think about doing more and more in peace time and in training with the NATO partners that are out there," he said. "We train as an alliance every day, we have a common understanding, we have the strategic partnership and we have relationships that are built from day one here at Sheppard."

Colonel Schneider said one of the other topics of discussion was the replacement of the T-38 aircraft.

"The T-38 is the advanced supersonic jet trainer that we have been using for almost 50 years," he said. "The aircraft is starting to show a little bit of its age and when you look at some of the other aircraft that are being flown by our graduates-the Eurofighter, the F-22, and a few years down the road, the F35-there's a greater growing gap of the capabilities of the T-38 aircraft and the advanced fifth-generation fighters.

"So the Air Force is looking at a replacement aircraft that is currently being called 'Trainer X' or 'TX.' The goal or desire for Trainer X right now is to have that aircraft fielded operationally capable by 2017."

The fall Steering Committee meeting will be held in Québec City, Canada.

The steering committee is held every six months with the spring conference at Sheppard and the fall meeting at one of the partner nations.