The Slovenia-led multinational Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC)
exercise Adriatic Strike 2016 closes today, 11 June 2016, after a successful week of joint Air-Land
integration training.
For the
fifth consecutive time, the Slovenian Armed Forces together with eight Allies
and two Partner nations and provided realistic training scenarios involving
controlling fire support from the air to assist commanders on the ground.
This year’s
exercise, which was organised and conducted by the Slovenian Air Force 15th
Wing Command, was aimed at training certified JTACs, shooting platform teams,
company commanders and Forward Air Controllers (FACs). For the first time, the
exercise involved the NATO deployable air command and control capability – the DARS
– from Poggio Renatico, Italy, which executed mission control of live-flying
aircraft.
Adriatic
Strike 2016 was conducted at six different locations around Slovenia. Helicopters
from Slovenia, Slovakia as well as NATO Partners Austria and Montenegro as well
as fixed wing aircraft from Slovenia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary,
Italy, the United States of America, and Partner Austria provided fire support
flying out of Cerklje ob Krki Air Base in Slovenia or from respective home
bases.
The basic
mission of JTACs and FACs is to provide the commander in the field with advice
on the use of air and other types of fire support (sea, mortar, artillery) and
also to control those operations. They provide continual air support and also
provide comprehensive protection of their forces.
The JTAC
and FAC capability is an important asset of Allied joint operations. These
specialists need constant challenging training events to maintain their skills that
they will need to perform as and when required in real-world situations. With Adriatic
Strike 2016 over, another opportunity for the community to train at a multinational
inter-Allied level is the Czech-led exercise Ample Strike 2016, that will take
place in the southern region of the Czech Republic from 30 August to 20 September
2016.