Defence · NATO & alliances · 4 November 2026
RAF Chinooks deploy to Netherlands for joint air exercise
Personnel from 18 (Bomber) Squadron have deployed to the Netherlands for Exercise Greyhound Titan, Royal Air Force has announced. The operation involves joint training with the 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team and the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force.
Royal Air Force has confirmed that personnel from 18 (Bomber) Squadron are currently based at Gilze-Rijen Air Base in the Netherlands. The deployment is part of Exercise Greyhound Titan, a multinational event designed to strengthen air manoeuvre integration and interoperability. The exercise brings together the RAF, the 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, and the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force.
Operations conducted during the exercise include daily flying into Germany to support training at Sennelager. Activities cover personnel recovery, medical evacuation, and the integration of uncrewed aircraft systems. A key objective is to deepen the integration between 18 (Bomber) Squadron and the 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team. Flight Lieutenant Sam, a Chinook pilot from 18 (B) Squadron, said: "This exercise put into practice everything 18 (B) Sqn had been building up to this year."
The training also assessed the use of specially prepared dust bowls for environmental qualification and desert operations. According to the announcement, this evaluation will help inform future methods for maintaining readiness in austere environments. Group Captain Harris, Chief Force Coordinator, noted that the exercise provided a valuable opportunity to integrate aviation planning and liaison functions within the 16X construct.
The announcement does not specify the end date of the deployment or the total number of personnel involved. It also does not state whether similar exercises are planned for other locations or units beyond the current participation of 18 (Bomber) Squadron and the 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team.
Written by StreetOwl from Royal Air Force’s own announcement. It was drafted by StreetOwl’s own model, every figure and quotation was checked by code against the announcement, and it was read and approved by Michael Rossi before it went up. It says what was announced, not what anyone should do about it.
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