Exercise Determined Falcon
Objective
Following a decision by NATO on 11 June 1998, Exercise Determined Falcon took place on June 15, 1998. It was an air exercise in Albania and Macedonia, with the agreement of both countries. The objective of the exercise was to demonstrate NATO's capability to project air power rapidly into the region. There are concerns on the violence used in the province of Kosovo. A variety of NATO aircraft participated from all NATO countries, except Iceland, Luxembourg — which do not have an air force — and Canada which could not deploy aircraft to Europe on such short notice.
The Exercise
The planes began departing about 7:50AM, leaving from air bases in Italy, Greece, The Netherlands, France, Germany, Britain and the Adriatic Sea. Support planes — including refueling tankers — already were in the air. The exercises were expected to end about four hours later.
First of the 24 aircraft departing Aviano were two American F-16s, followed by four Spanish F-18s, a tanker and several other USAF F-16s.
| List of nations participating | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Operating from | Aircraft | # |
| Belgium | Villafranca, Italy | F-16 | 2 |
| Denmark | Villafranca, Italy | F-16 | 2 |
| France | Istrana, Italy | Jaguar | 4 |
| Istres, France | C-135F | 2 | |
| Germany | Piacenza, Italy | Tornado | 8 |
| Greece | Nea Anghialos, Greece | F-16 | 2 |
| Italy | Ghedi, Italy | Tornado | 2 |
| Istrana, Italy | AMX | 2 | |
| Gioia, Italy | Tornado | 2 | |
| The Netherlands | Villafranca, Italy | F-16 | 4 |
| Eindhoven, Netherlands | KDC-10 | 1 | |
| Norway | Villafranca, Italy | F-16 | 2 |
| Portugal | Aviano, Italy | F-16 | 2 |
| Spain | Aviano, Italy | EF-18 | 8 |
| Aviano, Italy | KC-130 | 1 | |
| Turkey | Ghedi, Italy | F-16 | 4 |
| United Kingdom | Gioia Del Colle, Italy | Jaguar | 4 |
| Ancona, Italy | L-1011 | 1 | |
| United States | Aviano, Italy | F-16 | 12 |
| Aviano, Italy / Mildenhall, UK | KC-135 | 8 | |
| Sigonella, Italy | EP-3 | 1 | |
| AV-8B | 4 | ||
| Aviano, Italy | EA-6B | 2 | |
| NATO AEWF | Geilenkirchen, Germany | E-3A | 2 |
| 13 | Totals | 82 | |
The aircraft flew over the Adriatic Sea, where they refueled, before flying into Albanian and then the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) airspace, approximately 15 miles from the nations’ borders. No ordnance was dropped during the exercise.
In Padesh, Albania, residents and Kosovo refugees who watched the NATO exercise today said it probably was not enough to stop the bloodshed in Kosovo.