Do US and EU aircraft work well together?

[PeterCrisp]

How well do the Air forces of the US and the EU work together? Could you have a nice little task force of a mix of F22, Eurofighter, Grippen and Rafale for instance? Could a single Awacs type from any of the nations who would supply all those aircraft types be able to control them all (lets say they have 12 of each aircraft type available to keep costs down for each country) or would it just be a nightmare of issues.
I just ask this as whatever you feel about which is the best aircraft they are all good and bring something to the table.
The only reason I didn't include the F35 is that it's not available right now.

 

[swerve]

How well do the Air forces of the US and the EU work together? Could you have a nice little task force of a mix of F22, Eurofighter, Grippen and Rafale for instance? Could a single Awacs type from any of the nations who would supply all those aircraft types be able to control them all ?

Most EU countries are in NATO. NATO air forces do work together, & often have done, both in exercises & operations. NATO has a multi-national AWACS fleet (nominally based in Luxembourg - which is why Luxembourg has the only air force consisting mostly of AWACS), fully interoperable with the aircraft of member air forces, as well as a number of national AWACS fleets.

 

[kato]

Well, Sweden's Gripens had to be upgraded to be compatible with Link 11 iirc. The EMB-145H Erieye has Link 11 and Link 16 datalinks.
Most of Poland's MiG-29s are compatible as they were modified by EADS for Germany, but i'd doubt the same being true for the majority of other Soviet equipment in operation with some EU nations (mostly Mig-29 and Mig-21 of various variants).
French aircraft all use Link 11/14, so they should be compatible despite the country's airforce not being integrated with NATO (and France operating its own AWACS).

 

[Feanor]

Most of the MiG-29 in Eastern Europe are scheduled to be upgraded to the SD standard which makes them NATO compatible.

 

[swerve]

Well, Sweden's Gripens had to be upgraded to be compatible with Link 11 iirc. The EMB-145H Erieye has Link 11 and Link 16 datalinks.
Most of Poland's MiG-29s are compatible as they were modified by EADS for Germany, but i'd doubt the same being true for the majority of other Soviet equipment in operation with some EU nations (mostly Mig-29 and Mig-21 of various variants).
French aircraft all use Link 11/14, so they should be compatible despite the country's airforce not being integrated with NATO (and France operating its own AWACS).

There aren't very many ex-Soviet aircraft still in use. Fleets have been reduced, & some replaced. AFAIK Bulgaria, Romania & Poland operate some pre-NATO MiG-21, MiG-29, Su-22 & Su-25. Poland & Slovakia have NATO-compatible communications equipment on their MiG-29s. The Czech Republic & Hungary have Gripen.

French AWACS are all US-built E-2 or E-3, & France participates in the NATO rolling upgrade programme for its E-3s.

 

[kato]

France participates in the NATO rolling upgrade programme for its E-3s.

Nah, they don't. They're just buying the same upgrade kits from Boeing as NATO to bring them to the same block standard.

 

[swerve]

Nah, they don't. They're just buying the same upgrade kits from Boeing as NATO to bring them to the same block standard.

OK, I phrased that badly. France doesn't participate in the NATO rolling upgrade programme, but shadows it - which, to my shame, the UK seems to be about to stop doing. Ah well, at least we'll buy enough of it to maintain interoperability.