Advanced Tactical Leadership Course UAE

Recently, from 10 October to 25 November 2022, a large TLP-like exercise (Tactical Leadership Programme) took place at Al Dhafra Air Base, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The so called Advanced Tactical Leadership Course (ATLC) No.32 UAE was hosted by the Air Warfare and Missile Air Defence Centre on the air base.

The ATLC exercises are organised in the UAE since 2004, under the framework of a Military Cooperation Programme with international collaborations of the Armed Forces.

This is to contribute to the strengthening of the operational readiness of fighting skills, cooperation, and interoperability of participating in a bilateral and multilateral frameworks between the UAE and various air forces.

The ATLC No.32 UAE has a lot of similarities with the well-known NATO TLP exercises, and involved personnel and/or fighter aircraft of the United Arab Emirates, Australia, France, Germany, Greece, United Kingdom, USA, India, Sultanate of Oman and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

One aspect of the exercise involves development, training and launching large formations of aircraft for so called Composite Air Operations (COMAO). Under this, four categories are further specified:

Air to Surface Attack
Defensive Air Operations counter-attack (Defensive Counter Air – DCA)
Targeting Time Sensitive Objectives (Time Sensitive Targeting – TST)
Search and Rescue Combat (Combat Search and Rescue – CSAR)

In total, some 45 aircraft and 500 personnel participated. The photo shows the participants, both personnel and quite a few interesting aircraft. Participating units:

United Arab Emirates - UAE AF
Al Dhafra Air Wing with Mirage 2000-9 from Abu Dhabi/Al Dhafra Air Base
Al Dhafra Air Wing with F-16E Fighting Falcon from Abu Dhabi/Al Dhafra Air Base
Group 10 (Attack) Joint Aviation Command with the AH-64D Apache from Abu Dhabi/Al Dhafra Air Base
unknown unit with DHC-8Q-315MSA
unknown unit with Thrush S2R-T660 Advanced Air Tractor
unknown unit with GlobalEye AEW&C
Saudi Arabia - Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF)
75 Squadron with Tornado IDS from Dhahran/King Abdullah Aziz Air Base
France - Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace (AAE, French Air and Space Force
EC01.002 Cigognes with Mirage 2000-5F from Luxeuil/St.Sauveur
EC01.007 Provence with Rafale C from Abu Dhabi/Al Dhafra Air Base (UAE)
Greece - Hellenic Air Force
331 Mira Thiseas with Mirage 2000-5EG from Tanagra
United Kingdom
XI(F) Squadron with Typhoon FGR4 from RAF Coningsby

If you have more information on the UAE AF units and where they are based, please let us know at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Photo by ATLC