Kentucky Air Guard Boosts NATO Interoperability in Scotland Training

Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard deployed four C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, 62,000 pounds of equipment, and 60 personnel to Glasgow Prestwick Airport in Scotland between August 14 and 22, executing dozens of multinational training events with British and Canadian forces to sharpen global deployment capabilities. Lieutenant Colonel Nick Reinke, mission commander, a C-130 pilot, and assigned to the 165th Airlift Squadron, stated that The deployment was designed to accomplish a large amount of C-130J continuation and tactical training while taking advantage of an unfamiliar overseas operating environment and opportunities to work directly with Allied partners.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport Validates Hot Pit Refueling Capacity

Operating out of Scotland forced flight crews to use unfamiliar air traffic control systems, coordinate host-nation specialized fueling, and secure United Kingdom low-level flying approvals.

During the deployment, the Louisville-based unit worked directly with civilian support agencies at Prestwick to execute “hot pit” refueling, a specialized technique where a C-130J is refueled while its engines remain running. This validated the airport’s infrastructure capacity to support such maneuvers for future Allied operations. Reinke noted that That partnership leaves behind a more capable location for follow-on and Allied forces in the future, rather than the benefit ending when our deployment ended.

Five-Ship Multinational Formation Flight Integration

One of the central operational milestones was a five-ship formation flight comprising four Kentucky aircraft and a single C-130J from the Royal Canadian Air Force. Reinke noted that the Canadian aircraft commander was a U.S. Marine Corps exchange pilot, which required mission planners to reconcile distinct U.S. Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, and U.S. Marine Corps procedures and terminology prior to execution. He added that That is exactly the kind of interoperability that is difficult to simulate.

C-130J Crews Coordinate Open-Ocean Rescue with Royal Navy

The deployment also tested maritime capabilities through simulated open-ocean rescue scenarios staged miles off the coast on the Atlantic Ocean. C-130J loadmasters airdropped inflatable motorboats near a simulated stranded survivor, allowing three Special Tactics Airmen from the Kentucky Air Guard’s 123rd Special Tactics Squadron to execute precision jumpmaster parachute entries.

Following the water insertion, the unit coordinated directly with the British Royal Navy’s 814 Naval Air Squadron. This phase integrated fixed-wing airdrop, maritime rescue, rotary-wing insertion, and on-scene command and control alongside NATO partners. A pararescue flight chief for the Special Tactics team described the Scottish operating environment as vastly different from domestic training locations due to colder weather, salt water factors, and distinct British naval geolocation methods.