Since September 2022, the Czech Air Force has been protecting the skies over Slovakia and will continue this mission this year. Regular exercises are needed to ensure that the handling of JAS-39 Gripen fighters at foreign airports runs smoothly. One such exercise ended at the Malacky/Kuchyňa base.
“The training focused on the Aircraft Cross Servicing (ACS) program, which is key to interoperability and the ability of alliance forces to reciprocally service NATO aircraft,” explains Captain M. M., squadron commander of the 21st Tactical Air Force Base in Čáslav, from where the Gripens take off for Slovakia. The ACS program is closely related to the concepts of Host Nation Support (HNS) and Agile Combat Employment (ACE). The first provides logistical, technical and operational support to foreign units operating on domestic territory, the second emphasizes flexibility and the ability to quickly deploy, move and operate its own units between various NATO bases.
“The main objectives of the exercise were cooperation with the Slovak Air Force and training in a number of tactical scenarios when involving forces and assets in the NATO readiness system – NATINAMDS. The technical personnel of the Slovak Air Force renewed and deepened their knowledge in tasks related to the operation of our Gripens, as well as our pilots tested communication with their dispatchers,” he specified.
Ground aviation personnel and two JAS-39 Gripen aircraft participated in the training from Čáslav. After landing in Malacky, Czech technical instructors supervised their Slovak counterparts during the process of guiding the aircraft and provided them with technical assistance in Active Combat Activities tasks. “The pilot is responsible for carrying out preparations for repeated takeoff. Slovak technicians are trained to know what the pilot is doing during this operation and what he needs to do. They must know the safety procedures and zones in order to be able to move around the aircraft safely and bring it to a stop. When the engine is running, the documentation specifies exactly where you are allowed and not allowed to move. Slovak technicians master these procedures at a professional level,” adds the squadron commander, Captain M. M.During active combat operations, a military aircraft lands and is ready for the next flight at a foreign airport where personnel from the home base are not available.
We are a non commercial community interested only in the discussion of all things military.
We do not sell or authorise the use of images hosted on our servers, if you wish to purchase or use imagery contact the uploader directly.(you will need to register). Any requests received to purchase or use imagery will be ignored. Thank you and welcome to MI.Net
You have been here as a guest for a while, I guess we are doing something right?
Register as a member and join in the discussions, its completely free and we would welcome your contributions.
All the best admin - MI.Net
We value your privacy
We use essential cookies to make this site work, and optional cookies to enhance your experience.