Náměšť, Czechia – From November 25 to 29, 2024, Czech and French Air Force exercised their personnel and crews in dispersed operations to enhance agility and flexibility in delivering air power.
The Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept increases the survivability and operational effectiveness of NATO aircraft and systems developing and enhancing the responsiveness to deploy and redeploy assets as required. Elements such as interoperability and mobility are key to maintaining and supporting Allies assets and capabilities. In this domain, NATO nations have different versions of ACE but all of them are designed to minimise vulnerability, increase flexibility and expand operational capability.
The capability is key to the air forces of all NATO nations. NATO Allied Air Command therefore assigns the highest priority to training dispersed operations
Recently the Czech Air Force exercised their personnel in the dispersed operations concept with the aim to minimise vulnerability of key military assets by avoiding centralised, easily targetable bases. Instead, combat aircraft, in this case rotary wing assets, and other equipment, move to smaller, improvised and temporary bases such as alternate airfields, roads, field expedient areas or military areas.
“This approach increases resilience to attacks, flexibility and mobility of our forces” said Major General Petr Čepelka Commander of Czech Air Force. “The capability is key to the air forces of all NATO nations. NATO Allied Air Command therefore assigns the highest priority to training dispersed operations – and the Czech Air Force performed them perfectly” he added.
Within this framework, the 22nd Helicopter Air Force Base in Náměšť, Czechia, hosted an aircraft cross servicing training event supporting the French Air Force Dassault Mirage fighters. The training built on the host nation support with the ACE concept. It represented the cornerstone for interoperability and the ability of national armed forces to receive and handle other NATO nations’ aircraft.
During the training event the Host Nation Support ensures the provision of logistic, technical and operational support to international forces operating in the Czech territory, ACE emphasises flexibility and quick transfer of units among individual bases, including improvised ones. The French Dassault Mirage fighters deployment tested the readiness of Czech ground specialists to service other nations’ aircraft and enhanced their promptness to support Allied operations.