Hercs on the Horizon
The Aerial Lifeline for Forward Deployments
VMGR-234’s heavy lifting enabled the progression of NATO’s largest live-fire exercise in the European theatre. The U.S. Marines Corps (USMC) reserve unit detached two KC-130J’s to Prestwick, poised to conduct a high-intensity logistics operation alongside providing aerial refuelling capabilities for exercise air assets. Stewart Marshall visited the detachment at Prestwick to understand their role in the biennial exercise.
From 1st-31st May 2025, NATO’s multinational live-fire integrated air and missile defence (IAMD) exercise was conducted in the north Atlantic. The IAMD exercise focused on maritime operational and tactical interoperability between the eleven participating nations. The exercise scenarios included a series of complex at-sea live-fire events against unmanned air and surface systems, subsonic, supersonic, and ballistic targets. This year’s iteration of the biennial exercise involved 30 air assets, with fast jet participation in the form of Norwegian F-35’s and Royal Air Force Typhoons.
Aside from the fighter assets, allied P-8A Poseidons and NATO’s forward deployed E-3A AWACS provided command, control, and coordination support. Away from the exercise zone, KC-130J’s assigned to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) VMGR-234 reserve unit were detached to Prestwick to provide aerial refuelling capability and play a crucial logistics role as the exercise progressed.
Rangers on Call
The Lockheed Martin KC-130J’s (166512 and 169018) of VMGR-234 “Rangers” detached from Fort Worth’s Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base to Prestwick Airport on Scotland’s west coast, putting them within striking distance of the UK’s northern Aerial Refuelling Areas (ARA) and the exercise zone.
Led by the United States Sixth Fleet with the coordination of Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO), the exercise was conducted by control groups in Norway and the U.K. Ministry of Defense (MOD) site situated in the Outer Hebrides. The initial stages of the exercise were played out at the Andøya range in Norway which then progressed south into Scottish waters. The moving exercise environment created a logistical challenge as land-based equipment and personnel were required to be moved between Andøya and MOD Hebrides. VMGR-234 were tasked to conduct the relocation.
Both deployed Hercules were dispatched to Andøya each morning to transport NATO Control Groups some 1000 miles to MOD Hebrides. From this location the control groups continued to task exercise assets and provide deconfliction service for maritime and air traffic as the war ships closed in on Scottish waters. Alongside moving personnel the aircraft were employed to transport heavy-duty equipment including radar platforms and the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). The HIMARS were later fired by the control group from the Outer Hebrides to be intercepted by ships over the ocean. The payloads were transported to Benbecula, the closest airfield to the MOD Range with the Ranger crews positioning back to Prestwick by the late evening. The daily tasking made for 12-hour crewing days which went on for a week and then had to be repeated in the opposite direction at the end of the exercise. Commenting on the high-intensity operations and the experience this provides their crews, the detachment Officer-in-charge and KC-130J aircraft commander, Major Nick Arthur said:
“This exercise has provided us the opportunity to demonstrate the full-spectrum capabilities of the KC-130J and our unit. Overseas deployments like this provide crucial training and experience, particularly for our younger personnel who have deployed overseas for the first time. The experience they have gained during the exercise helps build confidence that if required they can successfully conduct intra-theatre deployments overseas for an extended period.”
Alongside the air crews a team of maintenance personnel were on hand and kept the aircraft fully operational for the duration of the deployment. Major Arthur continued: “We travelled from Fort Worth with a maintenance pack consisting of items to replenish the aircraft based on our extensive knowledge operating the Hercules. Thankfully we only had a couple of small maintenance issues which our crews could rectify very quickly. We would obtain our taskings from the exercise ‘air shop’ with a couple days’ notice, so we would work smart by designating days in which one aircraft could be rested at Prestwick for maintenance needs whilst still delivering our mission requirements on schedule.”
Seizing Opportunities
Out with the logistics tasking the ranger crews conducted their primarily role as an air-to-air refuelling platform. The USMC originally planned a much larger participation with a detachment of F-35’s from VMFA-542 expected at RAF Lossiemouth, however these were retasked at the eleventh hour leaving only the RAF participants with the capability to refuel from the Hercules hose and drogue system. 1(F) Squadron Typhoons conducted aerial refuelling within the ARA’s over the Atlantic and North Sea whilst transiting between RAF Lossiemouth and the exercise area.
With less refuelling trade than what was first envisaged, the KC-130J’s still had plenty in the tank to enable the crews to conduct low-level flying in unfamiliar environments around the Scottish Highlands upon leaving the ARA. Major Arthur highlighted that relationships built between the USMC and members of the RAF helped them maximise their time in the UK: “A former RAF exchange pilot who spent time with the U.S. Marines is now back at RAF Brize Norton, so we reached out and they were kind enough to provide us with the mandatory briefing to safely operate at low-level in the UK, otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to conduct the low-level element. 1(F) Squadron also helped us coordinate the low level flight planning which differs from our procedures in the US. I believe seizing these opportunities highlight the strong bond between our armed forces and will continue to provide us with new opportunities to work closely together in the future.”