CASLAV, Czechia - From September 2 to 20, 2024, the Czech Armed Forces host the international exercise Ample Strike 2024 (AMSE24) with some 500 participants including 200 foreign colleagues. The main goal of the exercise conducted across Czech military installations and training areas is to train all facets of Close Air Support or CAS activities.
AMSE is an excellent opportunity for our Allied colleagues to keep current and enhance their capabilities; the Czech Armed Forces benefit from cooperation at the international level
For eleventh time, AMSE24 provides realistic scenarios offering challenging training opportunities for the participants. The drills include live ammunition delivery and night CAS mainly at the Boletice military shooting range in southern part of Bohemia.
A Czech Air Force Mi-171 helicopter overhead during a previous exercise. For the first time during an Ample Strike exercise several of these helicopters are operating out of a civilian airport. Archive photo by Pavel Vanka.
JTACs use electronic equipment to control final approach of aircraft over their target, illuminate targets and help control weapon release. Archive photo courtesy Czech Air Force.
Sloveina is participating with their PC-9 prop aircraft in exercise Ample Strike 24. The Slovenian Air Force also host their version of a JTAC exercise - Adriatic Strike - as another opportunity for the JTAC community. Photo by Hana Havrdová.
As a first, the Romanian Air Force deploys their IAR-330 Puma helicopters to Namest Air Base to fly missions in support of Ample Strike 24. Photo courtesy Czech Air Force.
Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) from Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America under the supervision of experienced instructors will train their ability and skills to provide precise and timely control to different type of flying assets. During AMSE24, the multinational JTACs, supported by Allied aircraft, are verifying interoperability of Air Power and Air-Land-Integration, which is key to combined joint Allied operations.
The training activities draw on support from transport, fighter and support aircraft as well as helicopters from several Allies. They include Czech Air Force L-159 ALCA jets - the CAS workhorse - CASA C-295, Mi-17 and Mi-171 as well as Slovenian PC-9s, German Eurofighters, A-400 air-refuelers and PC-9s, Dutch L -39s, and Lithuanian Mi-8T helicopters. As a first, the Romanian Air Force deploys their IAR-330 Puma helicopters to fly missions during AMSE24. From the United States, the Texas Air National Guard operates their MQ-9 Reaper drone to further add to realistic and state-of-the-art training.
"A multinational Allied exercise is always an excellent opportunity to demonstrate our Host Nation Support capability,” said Colonel Michal Kudyn, the AMSE24 exercise director. “Therefore, another important secondary goal of the exercise is to verify this capability mainly at the 21st Tactical Air Force base at Caslav and all other sites we use for the exercise,” he added.
“From a Czech perspective, we have two more firsts this year,” said Colonel Kudyn. “We are conducting the deployment and operation of our military fleet of ALCA jets from the civilian airport at Ceske Budejovice including weapons training. This is a big step forward in practicing and demonstrating Czech Air Force capabilities especially in terms of resilience and flexibility,” he added.
“Last, but not least, for the first time in an AMSE exercise we see the participation of flying officer reservists from Flight Training Centre (FTC) at Pardubice who will carry out support operations with the FTC Mi-17 helicopters. This confirms AMSE is not only an excellent opportunity for our Allied colleagues to keep current and enhance their capabilities, but also for the Czech Armed Forces to benefit from cooperation at the international level,” Colonel Kudyn concluded.
Since 2014, the Czech Republic has conducted the annual Ample Strike exercise building a reputation for hosting this live-fly and live-fire exercise for NATO JTACs demonstrating Allied cooperation, cohesion and capabilities.
At NATO Allied Air Command in Ramstein, Germany, staff are working to standardise tactics, techniques and procedures for JTACS and grant NATO accreditation of Allied JTAC programmes.