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 HISTORY
: The Allied Air Forces Central Europe (AAFCE) Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP) was born out of a desire by the Central Region Air Forces
to not only improve the tactical capabilities of their own air forces but also to develop tactics, techniques and procedures which would enhance multi
-national tactical air operations. With this aim in mind, in January 1978, the signatory nations, namely Belgium, Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, UK
and the USA formed the AAFCE TLP at the German Air Base of Fuerstenfeldbruck. Early TLP courses took the form of a two week seminar
where aircrew from the signatory nations briefed, discussed and formulated NATO tactics, techniques and procedures. In September 1979 the TLP
moved to Jever Air Base in Northern Germany where a flying phase was added to the course, extending it to four weeks. The TLP remained at Jever Air Base until December 1988 by
which time some 71 flying courses had been completed and nearly 2000 NATO aircrew had graduated. In March 1989 the TLP moved to the Belgian Air Base at Florennes where two further branches, Academic and
Concepts & Doctrine were added. At this stage a French Liaison Officer joined the staff, and France now
participates in most Flying Courses. While originally a Central Region organisation, the TLP has now expanded to include a number of nations from outside the Region. Denmark and Italy officially became
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Signatory Nations in January 1996, and Spain joined the Programme
in 2002. Canada withdrew from the Programme in 1997 following the withdrawal of its forces from Germany,
but maintains a Liaison Officer on the TLP staff and participates regularly in Flying and Academic Courses. In
January 2002 TLP became a "Unit in Support of SHAPE" and SHAPE became a Party of the MOU. TLP is
therefore now called ACE TLP that stands for "Allied Command Europe Tactical Leadership Programme". The
staff at TLP are justly proud of the programme's reputation for not only providing excellent training but also
for fostering friendships and engendering an important spirit of cooperation between nations. There is no
doubt that a generation of airmen have greatly benefited from lessons learned while taking part in the programme and it is hoped that this important tradition will continue for many years.
ORGANISATION: The Flying Branch is headed by a Lieutenant Colonel drawn in rotation from Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United
States. Some 14 officers, from 7 nations make up the two Sections of the Flying Branch; Air-to-Ground and Air Defence. All the aircrew have recently
completed front line flying tours and all return to their home units, outside of the flying courses, to maintain flying currency. The majority has also
participated in the TLP flying course at some stage of their flying careers and many have operational experience in the Middle East and Balkans
theatres. The staff is responsible for coordinating the mission scenarios, briefing and debriefing the participants, assessing the results and bringing
out the lessons learned from each of the missions. The FLYING COURSE: Six TLP Flying Courses, each of four weeks duration, are held every year with up to 24 aircraft and crews
participating in each course. Each unit deploying to TLP for a Flying Course normally deploys with two aircraft,
crews and an engineering detachment of up to 30 personnel. Consequently, the participating aircrafts for
each course include a wide selection of all tactical aircrafts available in the NATO inventory today.
 The FLYING COURSE OBJECTS
: The objectives of the course are to provide realistic training for everybody involved in air warfare, within the limits of the peacetime regulations. Participants are presented with a new scenario
each day. The scenarios, which cover all aspects of modern air warfare, are challenging and aimed to trigger the imagination of the participants. This is
often achieved by confronting them with situations not normally encountered during routine training missions at home. A further objective of
the course is to facilitate a free exchange of information on weapons, tactics and capabilities between the participating nations. By providing an
environment that encourages the discussion and development of multi-national tactics, participants find the best way to employ to full advantage
the differing aircraft capabilities of the multi-national forces in COMAO. During each course, a building block
approach is used to progress the crews through 15 carefully structured sorties. These sorties are aimed at
giving an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of one another's aircraft as well as developing
tactics, techniques and procedures for fully integrated multi-national formations. Participants are divided into
2 packs, those with an air-to-ground speciality (the "mudders") which form the attacking force, while the "air
-defenders" form the second group, tasked with either providing air defence support for the "mud-package"
or providing an opposing air defence threat. From the simple beginnings of leading a mixed 4 - 6 ship against
a limited fighter threat, the TLP participant is taken briskly through a number of scenarios which culminate in
a 24 ship multi-national formation tasked with neutralising an "enemy" target while threatened with an opposing air defence force of up to 8 fighters and field deployed SAM units.
 Owing to the central location of Florennes, TLP sorties are flown throughout
England, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Denmark and France. This provides many advantages, not the least of which is the variety of terrain and
targets over which missions can be flown as well as spreading the burden of noise and providing weather alternate routes. Once a year TLP includes
Night Operations within the Flying Course programme. The objective is to practice COMAO operations at night and experience the different challenges
that planning and operating at night presents to aircrew. Due to limited airspace around Florennes and multiple restrictions especially at Night, this
particular Night Course will take place at a different location with less restrictive airspace. Now, the TLP is an organization under the umbrella of
SHAPE and the "Region" comprises all of Europe the "Out of Region (OOR) Flying Course" has been renamed
the "Deployed Flying Course (DFC)". Always keen to be at the forefront of developing tactics, techniques and
procedures for the NATO Air Forces, TLP courses have developed to include a wide range of mission profiles.
New scenarios are developed and tested on each course with the aim of keeping abreast of developments around the world.
 The ACADEMIC BRANCH: The TLP Academic Branch is headed by a Wing
Commander or Lieutenant Colonel drawn in rotation from the member nations of the MOU and comprises 2 shops, Academic and Intelligence. The
"Academic Shop" conducts stand-alone study courses which are designed to promote an awareness of combined air operations amongst the aircrew
and other tactical supporting agencies of the Central Region. Some of the courses are ideal, though not essential, pre-employment training for the
Flying Courses. The Shop includes specialists in Defensive and Offensive Operations, Electronic Warfare and Combat Search and Rescue. The
"Intelligence Shop" provides essential intelligence support to the other branches in the form of briefings and presentations as well as running
specific intelligence courses for unit intelligence officers.
To achieve its aim the Branch has developed a variety of academic courses and study periods (follow blue
spots to course descriptions): 1) COMAO (Composite Air Operations), 2) ADS (Air Defence Studies), 3) EW
(Electronic Warfare), 4) Intel (Intelligence Operational Support Course) 5) Off Ops Offensive Operations
Course) As a common thread for all these courses, participants contribute by briefing each other on their
own weapon systems, aircraft capabilities and national tactics. Later, during discussion periods and desk top
exercises, these tactics are analysed and comparisons made with the tactics and counter tactics that TLP has
found work best in combined operations. Through these courses, the expertise of the TLP can be made
available to many more participants than can attend the Flying Courses. In any one year, approximately 500
representatives of the tactical air forces of NATO will attend Academic Branch courses at Florennes.
Robert Hannessen
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