US Air Force F15E Eagles were spotted over Alnwick today, signalling the start of Exercise Flying Rhino which is a small-scale Close Air Support exercise for 1 (UK) Armoured Division that will provide essential Forward Air Controller training and qualification.

The aircraft are from the 494th Tactical Fighter Wing based at RAF Lakenheath, and are conducting low flying exercises over Scotland until September 18.

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More localised sorties will be flown this week as part of Exercise Wycombe Warrior, which is medium-scale joint multi-national live fly exercise that will take place in the north of England and southern Scotland.

Up to 60 sorties will be flown on each day with the main air to ground activity centered on the Spadeadam Electronic Warfare Training Range.

Close Air Support will also take place at Brizlee Wood, near to Alnwick involving mostly UK aircraft but augmented by Rafale and Mirage 2000 from France, and A-10 Thunderbolts from the USAF at Spangdahlem in Germany.

Flying will take place in 2 day waves, with some additional night activity.

And the Apache helicopter gunships which caused a stir for people living locally last month will also be back, when Exercise Tac Blaze gets under way between September 21 and October 2.

It's the second pre-deployment training exercise for Royal Netherlands Air Force helicopters this year, and up to six will deploy including Apache, Chinook and Cougar with day and night flying taking place on weekdays only.

A single day exercise called Bold Avenger will take place between Septmber 22 and 23, in which up to 40 sorties will be flown each day and the air to ground activity will be centered on the Spadeadam Electronic Warfare Training Range.

The majority of participating air assets will operate from Karup, Denmark, with USAF F-15Es from Lakenheath and RNLAF F-16s from Leeuwarden.

Other participants include Belgian, Danish, Dutch, Greek, Polish, Portugese and Turkish F-16s; French Mirage 2000s; USAF F-15Es, and US KC-135 and UK VC-10 air-to-air refuelling tankers.

But the big event happens next month, when Exercise Joint Warrior launches on October 5 until 23.

It's the second large-scale exercise this year in the Joint Warrior exercise programme, which provides a major training opportunity for UK, NATO and Coalition forces on land, sea and air.

The exercise will be predominantly located in northern England and Scotland.

Up to 20 warships and four submarines will operate in the Northwest Approaches and around the Western Isles, while air activity will include maritime and land attack together with air defence operations.

Up to 40 aircraft will participate in tactical packages supported by air refueling and airborne command and control. In addition, there will be considerable maritime air activity by both fixed and rotary-wing aircraft.

Participating fast-jet aircraft will include Harrier GR9 embarked on HMS Illustrious, Tornado GR4, Typhoon and Hawk.

Maritime patrol aircraft from Canada, France, Germany, Norway, UK and the US will also participate together with helicopters from Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Portugal, UK and the US.

Exercise flying will mostly take place on weekdays, between 10am and 12.30pm and 2pm to 5.30pm.

A small amount of night flying will take place in the second week of the exercise, there may be limited rotary-wing flying at the weekend.