Airforces Monthly - February 2017

Austrian Upgrade
Above: An Austrian AB212 (5D-HR)
working alongside a Belgian NH90
and Austrian S-70. Jos Schoofs
Right: The upgraded Austrian AB212
cockpit. Jos Schoofs
and medevac operations,
securing a large site and
special techniques such as
fast-roping and evacuating
troops from confined areas.
“Member states will need
to move towards defence
co-operation as the norm,”
Mogherini commented.
Tom Bennington, the head
of education, training and
exercises at the EDA, declared:
“It is our objective to upgrade
new member states to a highstandard
level. If they are
not at this level yet, extensive
training will see that they
get to that level. If they still
have more to learn, they can
participate [in Blade exercises]
anyway, but perhaps only
in medevac, for instance.
Processes do take time and
money, but we’re working
on fixed-wing exercises to
be held in future as well.”
Lessons learned
It is always impressive to see
international armed forces
The Austrian AB212s were among
the most interesting participants in
Black Blade. The aircraft feature
an upgraded cockpit compatible
with night vision goggles. As soon
as training and procedures are up
to speed, they will be cleared to
conduct instrument flight rules
and night operations in the same
way that Austria’s S-70s do. Black
Blade 2016 was the type’s first
international night COMAO exercise
since being upgraded. Jos Schoofs
Troops fast roping into
one of the exercise
scenarios. Austrian Air
Force/Maximilian Fischer
Aviation participants — Black Blade 2016
Origin Unit Home base Aircraft
Austrian Air Force leichte Transporthubschrauber Staffel (lTHSSta) Hörsching 3 x AB212
mittlere Transporthubschrauber Staffel (MTHSSta) Tulln-Langenlebarn 3 x S-70
Belgian Air Component 1 Wing Beauvechain 5 x A109
2 x NH90
Slovenian Armed Forces 151st Rotary-Wing Squadron/15th Wing Ljubljana 1 x AS532
United Kingdom Cobham Aviation Services Bournemouth 1 x Falcon 20
working together in a coalition
operation, and from the view of
the observers the job was done
well. Nevertheless, the postexercise
evaluation will inevitably
reveal shortcomings, and
mentors from more experienced
units in the EDA member states
will be on hand to advise.
At planning conferences,
information from the latest
debriefings, as well as tactical
lessons from other engagements
— such as the on-going Dutch
SOF operations in Mali — will be
discussed, to ensure forthcoming
exercises are even better.
Although it takes a year to
prepare an exercise of this kind,
it clearly provides great value
in terms of lessons learned.
Black Blade 2016 also involved
night operations and training
with night vision goggles
to conduct landings in the
dark. As well as increasing
interoperability, flying in
different environments helps
operators be better prepared
for future crisis management.
Next year the HEP exercise will
take place in Hungary, while
Belgium will host its next
Blade exercise in 2020.
www.airforcesmonthly.com #347 FEBRUARY 2017 57