Test Page

Video by Senior Master Sgt. Vincent De Groot

Iowa Air National Guard participates in NATO military exercise Formidable Shield in the United Kingdom

185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard

May 26, 2021 | 5:14

B-roll video shows U.S. Air Force KC-135 air operations at the Glasgow Prestwick airport in Prestwick, Scotland as part of multinational exercise, Formidable Shield taking place this week.

U.S. Air National Guard refueling Wings from Iowa, Maine and Ohio are participating in the missile defense exercise in the United Kingdom in May.

The Formidable Shield exercise is the first of its kind, maritime live-fire exercise designed to test participating European nations integrated air and missile defense systems with NATO command and control.

The exercise is being hosted by the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th fleet and the British Royal Navy. The exercise is based in the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense Hebrides Range in the Western Isles of Scotland but covers a large geographical area in the area of the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

The exercise has more than 3,000 participants from the European nations of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The KC-135 units are from Iowa National Guard’s 185th Air Refueling Wing from Sioux City, Iowa, Maine’s 101st ARW from Bangor, Maine and Ohio’s 121st ARW from Columbus, Ohio.

Video includes interview segments with KC-135 pilot Maj. Noelle Jacobs from the 185th Air Refueling Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard based in Sioux City, Iowa.

Lower thirds:
Maj. Noelle Jacobs
185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard