Multinational exercise Ample Strike 2015 almost ready to go

By 4 September 2015 most of the international participants in exercise Ample Strike 2015 arrived at 22nd Helicopter Base Vícenice, Sedlec near Namest nad Oslavou to register. This weekend all participants are attending training in safety rules and procedures for coordination of training scenarios, and instructions for the exercise operational areas.

During the exercise some participants will be deployed at the Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP) in the Libava and Boletice military training areas and the former airport at Bechyně. “We will be stationed at four sites and training will be held simultaneously in six operational areas,” said deputy exercise director Major Pavel Prochazka.

“We’ve registered nearly 70 percent of international participants. Some others will arrive during the weekend,” said staff sergeant Marcela Betková, administrative specialist responsible for the registration of the participants.

Several aircraft already deployed to Namest Helicopter Base – an L-39 and a Mi-17 helicopter from Slovakia, German Learjet and PC-9 aircraft and two Slovenian PC-9. Already on Friday, American AH-64 Apache helicopters with their crews arrived at the Boletice FARP.

Czech JAS-39 Gripen and L-159 ALCA fighters will support the exercise operating from their home base in Caslav, respectively. On Sunday, three Mi-24/35 helicopters based at Namest deploy to the Libava FARP where they will remain throughout the exercise. The last air assets will deploy next Friday, when AT-6C trainer aircraft from Germany will arrive at Namest – they participate in AMSE for the first time.

Exercise Ample Strike is a Czech-hosted multinational exercise training NATO Forward Air Controllers (FACs) with live-flying from 7 to 19 September. The aim of the joint training in four locations across the south of the Czech Republic will be the coordination among the pilots in tactical air operations with more than 100 Allied FACs in support of ground operations. During the exercise, activities will focus on increasing expertise in direct air support procedures and standardizing and honing interoperability of the military specialists for deployments in operations abroad. Another aim of the exercise is to maintain and develop skills of the Czech Armed Forces units in providing support to and hosting foreign troops during their stay in the Czech Republic.

Source: NATO

By

L. J. De Rothschild

Senior Editor

NATO Section

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