Photo By David Overson | Lithuanian Army Lt. Col. Viktoras Bagdonas, chief of staff for the Lithuanian Army...... read more read more
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RUKLA, Lithuania – The enemy is near – and within sight. A coordinated network of exacting service members pinpoint their location, and then relay this critical information to highly skilled fighter pilots in the sky. One’s imagination can picture the rest.
The guiding voice behind these operations comes from tactical air control party and joint terminal attack controller personnel. These extensively trained service members direct the action of combat aircraft engaged in close air support and other offensive air operations from a forward position.
Saber Strike, a long-standing U.S. Army Europe-led cooperative training exercise conducted throughout the Baltic region, afforded TACPs and JTACs the opportunity to put their skills to the test. This year’s iteration, which ran from June 8 through 19, 2015, featuring more than 6,000 service members from 13 different countries, provided TACPs and JTACs with a realistic multinational training environment.
“The most important part is to integrate the ground maneuvers with all the weapon systems so we don’t have any blue on blue,” said German Army Capt. Jochen Haack, a TACP commander with 5th Company, Jager Battalion 292. “When the aircraft show up they don’t have situational awareness until we get it to them. We have to be aware of the artillery as well as the aircraft capability so we can employ these weapon systems without harming our own forces.”
This training hasn’t just benefited those calling in the war birds. Troops fighting on the ground have been able to see these elements of the battlefield come together.
“It’s been very good because this is the first time we have ever trained with aircraft,” said Lithuanian Army Cpl. Dmitris Ivanickij, an infantry squad leader with Iron Wolf Brigade, 2nd Coy. “It can be very hard for us on the ground, we have had a lot of help from the aircraft.”
The lessons and experience gained from these types of training operations will not remain on the training ground, but persist and add to the increasing capabilities of joint multinational forces.
“Multinational operations are the reality today because no nation is likely to conduct operations on their own,” Haack added. “Wherever we go we are usually with other nations, especially ones from NATO. To have the chance to train with all these other nations for the possibility of any deployment, this is the perfect opportunity.”
| Date Taken: | 06.17.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.19.2015 11:25 |
| Story ID: | 167300 |
| Location: | RUKLA, LT |
| Web Views: | 226 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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