The Allied Airpower Podcast

13:09

NATO Pilot’s 1st Alpha Scramble during an Air Defence...

The Allied Airpower Podcast ·

2026/10/07

When the Alpha Scramble order came, Lt Luis had a job to do. The adrenaline could wait.In this episode of The Allied Airpower Podcast, Jose “Houdini” Davis speaks with Lt Luis about his first operational interception, the preparation behind it, and the people who make NATO’s Baltic Air Defence mission possible.An Alpha Scramble is a real-world activation of NATO’s alert forces. For Spanish Lt Luis, it meant getting airborne to intercept, identify, and escort a Russian aircraft flying in

en

4:22

NATO’s Air Defence - How Integrated Air and Missile...

The Allied Airpower Podcast ·

2026/09/30

A passenger aircraft loses radio contact with air traffic controllers. Elsewhere, a hostile missile launches towards Allied territory. These situations demand different responses, but both underscore why NATO’s Air Defence posture must be able to detect, assess, and respond to threats together.As a defensive Alliance, NATO brings together radars, fighter jets, ground-based air and missile defence systems, and Allied warships through its Integrated Air and Missile Defence — or IAMD. Working across

en

22:49

How to Become a NATO Fighter Pilot — Interview with...

The Allied Airpower Podcast ·

2026/09/22

Eject! Eject! Eject! In this episode of The Allied Airpower Podcast, Jose ‘Houdini’ Davis sits down with Danish Lieutenant Colonel Martin ‘AMI’ Friis for a conversation about life in the cockpit and what it takes to become a NATO fighter pilot.AMI recalls a 1996 departure on a routine training flight: Sitting behind a student pilot in an F-16, he received a warning from the control tower: their engine was on fire. Looking over his shoulder, he saw orange surrounding the aircraft. Within seconds, he

en

15:46

NEW SEASON! Belgium assumes Air Defence mission in...

The Allied Airpower Podcast ·

2026/09/10

These five stories show how NATO is strengthening Air & Space power through faster integration, persistent readiness and closer cooperation between Allied forces.In Iceland, Belgian F-16s took over NATO’s Air Defence mission at Keflavik, supporting Arctic Sentry and the Alliance’s broader move toward a more unified Integrated Air and Missile Defence posture. The deployment reflects a shift away from traditional Air Policing alone toward a wider approach designed to address a broader range of

en

18:57

The Deep Dive: Ramstein Flag

The Allied Airpower Podcast ·

2026/06/10

In this episode of The Allied Airpower Podcast, Jose “Houdini” Davis takes listeners inside Ramstein Flag, one of NATO Allied Air Command’s most important large-scale air exercises.Ramstein Flag is not just about aircraft, bases, or hardware. It is about NATO practicing how to fight as one air component in an Article 5 scenario — across nations, across geography, and under pressure.The episode explains how Ramstein Flag builds on the Flag-series tradition of realistic high-end combat training, while

en

16:40

NATO's Airpower: A Documentary

The Allied Airpower Podcast ·

2026/06/01

In this special documentary episode of The Allied Airpower Podcast, Jose “Houdini” Davis takes listeners inside NATO Airpower through a documentary produced by NATO’s talented multimedia team based in Brussels.Filmed across the Alliance and partially during Ramstein Flag 25, the episode breaks down one of NATO’s most complex missions: how Allied Air Forces would secure the skies in crisis or conflict. The documentary follows the key pieces of that mission across Europe: NATO AWACS at Geilenkirchen,

en

24:18

Allied Airpower strengthens C-A2AD Capabilities under...

The Allied Airpower Podcast ·

2026/05/26

Across these seven updates, NATO’s air and maritime activity in May 2026 points to a clear operational theme: the Alliance is strengthening its ability to operate as an integrated, distributed, and resilient force across multiple regions at once. From the Mediterranean to the Baltic, from Sweden and Finland to Norway and Greece, the focus is not only on presence, but on readiness, interoperability, Agile Combat Employment, ISR, air defence, and multi-domain integration.That theme was visible in

en

25:20

On Leadership and the Future of NATO's Combined Air...

The Allied Airpower Podcast ·

2026/05/15

In this episode of The Allied Airpower Podcast, Jose “Houdini” Davis sits down with Lieutenant General Juan Pablo Sánchez de Lara, Commander of NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre-Torrejón, during an in-person visit to Torrejón Air Base in Spain.CAOC Torrejón is one of NATO Allied Air Command’s key operational command and control nodes, helping task, coordinate, and execute Allied air missions across peacetime, crisis, and conflict. For General Sánchez de Lara, that mission is deeply personal. A

en

18:02

NATO Allied Air Command to conduct Exercise RAMSTEIN...

The Allied Airpower Podcast ·

2026/05/06

Across these five updates, Allied Air Command’s spring 2026 message is clear: NATO is moving from a primarily reactive air policing posture toward a more integrated, distributed, and deliberately prepared air defence model. The emphasis is not on one isolated activity, but on how command leadership, multinational planning, training infrastructure, experimentation, and large-scale exercises all connect into a single defensive posture across the Euro-Atlantic area.That strategic direction was most

en

15:34

The Trust Behind NATO Airpower — Interview with ITA...

The Allied Airpower Podcast ·

2026/04/13

In this episode of The Allied Airpower Podcast, Kea Alishia Phlatts sits down with Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chair of the NATO Military Committee, during his visit to Allied Air Command at Ramstein, 25-26 March 2026. As NATO’s senior military officer and principal military adviser to the Secretary General, Admiral Dragone sits at the center of the Alliance’s military decision-shaping process, helping translate the collective judgment of thirty-two Chiefs of Defence into advice for NATO’s

en

27:13

German Eurofighters hand over NATO's Enhanced Air...

The Allied Airpower Podcast ·

2026/04/10

Across these nine updates, NATO’s air enterprise is doing three things at once: sharpening high-end combat skills, tightening Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) on the eastern flank, and cycling Allied detachments through Baltic and Black Sea operating locations to keep a persistent, credible air policing posture in place.We start in the United Kingdom with Cobra Warrior 2026-1, the Royal Air Force’s premier tactical air training event. The exercise is designed to push aircrews through

en

21:42

Exercise Cold Response 26 strengthens Allied...

The Allied Airpower Podcast ·

2026/03/30

In this episode, we track six connected stories that show NATO’s air enterprise accelerating integration from the High North to the Black Sea — pairing persistent presence with scalable deterrence and multi-domain readiness.We begin in Finland, where a NATO AWACS aircraft conducts its first mission in Finnish airspace, a milestone after Finland’s accession that expands long-range surveillance and airborne battle management in the High North. Coordinated by Joint Force Command Norfolk and tasked by

en

12:28

Military Partnerships — Interview with U.S. Major...

The Allied Airpower Podcast ·

2026/03/24

Not every NATO mission begins with aircraft in the air. Some begin with relationships.In this episode of The Allied Airpower Podcast, ‘Houdini’ spoke with Major Joseph Plata of NATO Allied Air Command’s A9 Military Partnership Branch about one of the Alliance’s less visible but strategically important missions: building and sustaining relationships with partner nations. It is work that happens largely behind the scenes, but it plays a direct role in strengthening trust, improving understanding, and

en

18:34

The Deep Dive: F2T2 — Find, Fix, Track, and Target

The Allied Airpower Podcast ·

2026/03/13

In this episode, Jose “Houdini” Davis breaks down one of the most practical mission sets in modern Allied airpower: F2T2 — Find, Fix, Track, and Target. Using AIRCOM’s 5 March 2026 Eastern Sentry mission as the central example, the episode explains how NATO connects sensors, command and control, and decision-making across multiple domains to turn detection into operational effect.This is not just a discussion about aircraft or weapons employment. The episode makes clear that F2T2 is a team effort

en

19:46

NATO's safe skies, Allies conduct drone training...

The Allied Airpower Podcast ·

2026/03/05

In this episode, we track six connected developments that show NATO’s air enterprise building readiness at speed — from advanced tactical training in Spain, to new operational frameworks in the High North, to live deterrence activity and counter-drone integration on the eastern flank.We begin at Albacete Air Base, where nine Allies complete the year’s first Tactical Leadership Programme flying course. The three-week syllabus brings together aircrews, intelligence officers, and ground-controlled

en

25:11

Swedish JAS 39 Gripen deployment to Iceland marks...

The Allied Airpower Podcast ·

2026/02/12

In this episode, we cover six developments across NATO’s air and intelligence enterprise — a snapshot of an Alliance modernising national air capabilities, strengthening command-and-control and planning on the eastern flank, and sustaining 24/7 airspace security from the Baltics to the High North.We begin with Croatia’s transition to a modern national air policing capability, as the Croatian Air Force assumes full responsibility for protecting Croatian airspace on Jan. 1, 2026. With Rafale multirole

en

22:14

AIRCOM-led F2T2 training supporting NATO’s Eastern...

The Allied Airpower Podcast ·

2025/12/12

In this episode, we cover six developments across NATO’s air and multi-domain activity — a snapshot of an Alliance modernising its command-and-control backbone, sharpening readiness on the eastern flank, and accelerating fifth-generation interoperability across Europe.We begin at Ramstein Air Base for a milestone in fifth-generation sustainment and Allied integration: a cross-servicing weapons load on a U.S. Air Force F-35A conducted by Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force weapons specialists

en

19:05

SACEUR emphasises warfighting readiness during visit...

The Allied Airpower Podcast ·

2025/12/03

In this episode, we explore six major developments across NATO’s air and multi-domain operations — a snapshot of an Alliance sharpening its readiness, accelerating integration, and strengthening deterrence across the Euro-Atlantic region.We begin in the United States, where the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force completed a demanding deployment to Idaho for Exercise Gunfighter Flag 25-02. Twelve Dutch F-35s conducted advanced air-to-air and air-to-ground training alongside U.S. Air Force units,

en

17:42

NATO's Eastern Sentry — Interview with US Lt Col...

The Allied Airpower Podcast ·

2025/11/17

In this episode, Jose “Houdini” Davis sits down with U.S. Lieutenant Colonel Brennan “Thor” Gallagher, one of Allied Air Command’s key operational leads behind Eastern Sentry, NATO’s newest vigilance activity along the Alliance’s Eastern Flank. A U.S. Air Force Weapons School graduate, rescue C-130 pilot, and senior planner in AIRCOM’s A35 directorate, Thor brings deep operational and strategic expertise to a conversation that unpacks both the origin and the ambition of NATO’s Eastern Sentry.Thor

en

15:01

Lt Gen Hinds Assumes Command of NATO’s Allied Air...

The Allied Airpower Podcast ·

2025/11/07

In this episode, we explore five major Allied Air Command developments that demonstrate NATO’s enduring focus on leadership, readiness, and collective deterrence across the Euro-Atlantic region.First, across four host nations in northern Europe, NATO conducted its annual nuclear deterrence exercise Steadfast Noon. Up to seventy aircraft from fourteen Allied countries participated in the training, which tested the Alliance’s procedures for maintaining a safe, secure, and credible nuclear posture

en

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

While We Still Can

Tina Langland and Lisa Rollison

I - On Defense Podcast

I - On Defense

Ones Ready

Aaron Love, Trent Seegmiller, and Jared...

Command and Control

Peter Roberts

The Access:VFX Podcast

ACCESS:VFX