This week highlighted a series of major NATO Airpower events across Europe and the High North during September 2025.

We begin with Cobra Warrior 25-2, where the Royal Air Force is hosting Allies Canada, Italy, Germany, the UK, and the United States at RAF Waddington. This large-scale exercise pushes aircrews to their limits, sharpening interoperability and readiness in complex, high-threat environments.

Next, we move north to Greenland for Arctic Light 2025, a Danish-led exercise involving over 550 personnel. Naval, air, land, and special forces from Denmark, France, Sweden, Norway, and Germany trained together in live-fire drills, cold-weather operations, and large-scale search and rescue missions — demonstrating NATO’s ability to operate in the most demanding Arctic conditions.

From there, we head to Lithuania for Exercise Baltic Bikini 2025, where aircrews from Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, and Lithuania rehearsed survival after ditching at sea. Through realistic water-based rescue scenarios, NATO reinforced critical skills for personnel operating over the Baltic region.

We then highlight the 25th NATO Days in Ostrava and the 16th Czech Air Force Days, which drew nearly 100,000 spectators. The event showcased Allied modernization, from Slovakia’s new F-16 Block 70/72 fighters and Portugal’s KC-390 transport to spectacular aerial displays by the Red Arrows, Turkish Stars, and Croatia’s Krila Oluje.

Finally, we close with a historic milestone in the High North: a UK RAF A400 transport aircraft landing for the first time on Jan Mayen, a remote volcanic island in the Norwegian Sea. The mission delivered a U.S. Marine Corps Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and underscored NATO’s ability to sustain operations in one of the world’s most challenging environments.

Together, these events highlight NATO’s commitment to collective defense, agility, and readiness across multiple domains — from the Baltic and Central Europe to the icy Arctic frontier.

The Allied Airpower Podcast is committed to telling the true stories of the individuals who comprise the 32-member Alliance. Are you interested in sharing your story of service to your nation and your contributions to NATO? Contact us and be a guest on the podcast!

In this powerful episode, The Allied Airpower Podcast shifts focus, from the conceptual to the frontlines, spotlighting the Airmen who make NATO Airpower possible. Today, we tell the individual story of an Airman who overcame hardship and adversity to be where he is today. Meet U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Honza Cafourek, whose path runs from childhood in Czechoslovakia under communism, to escape across the Iron Curtain, to building a new life in America and ultimately serving as a proud U.S. Air Force Airman.

MSgt. Cafourek reflects on the grit and determination it took to learn English, gain American citizenship, and build a career in the U.S. Air Force, supporting missions from Guam to the Middle East. Along the way, he opens up about adversity, resilience, and his enduring dream of serving as a police officer.

Now back in his native Czech Republic with U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa, MSgt. Cafourek embodies the values of commitment, service, and sacrifice — standing as both an ambassador and an inspiration ahead of NATO Days in Ostrava, September 20-21.

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in The Allied Airpower Podcast are those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of NATO, NATO Allied Air Command, or any national government. Any external hyperlinks or resources shared on this podcast do not constitute endorsement.

This week’s news roundup episode spotlights five stories that showcase NATO’s commitment to vigilance, unity, and airpower excellence across the Alliance.

In Poland and the Baltic region, NATO’s Air Policing mission responded swiftly to multiple airspace violations, including Russian drones and reconnaissance flights. Scrambles by Dutch, Spanish, French, and German fighters demonstrated NATO’s collective defence in action.

But first, we begin at Eindhoven Air Base in the Netherlands, where the European Air Transport Command (EATC) marked its 15th anniversary — celebrating multinational success in air mobility, air-to-air refuelling, and aeromedical evacuation across seven member nations.

Then we move to Konya Air Base in Türkiye, where NATO AWACS and Turkish aircraft teamed up for NEXUS ACE training — strengthening tactical coordination under the Tailored Assurance Measures for Türkiye.

Next, we head to Italy, where the Frecce Tricolori celebrated 65 years of precision aerobatics. Teams from six Allied and partner nations joined the air show, highlighting the operational value of aerial display teams within NATO.

Finally, in Sigonella, Italy, the NATO ISR Force celebrated its tenth anniversary — tracing its evolution from a ground surveillance program to a permanent intelligence hub supporting operations from Sicily to the High North.