Air Assault – Exercise in Kosovo

By the exercise scenario, the Hungarian troops had to eliminate a base of the “enemy forces" north-east of Mitrovica at an elevation of 1400 meters in the mountains. The enemy controlled the traffic route next to the base, so it hindered the freedom of movement of KFOR sub-units. The air assault involved three American UH–60 Black Hawks, two Croatian Mi–8s and one Slovenian UH–1 helicopter.

In the first phase of the mission, as part of a reconnaissance echelon, the company commander ordered the sniper teams to the observation posts early in the morning so he can obtain precise and up-to-date information about the “supposed enemy". In the next phase, he ordered two maneuver platoons to deploy by air to both sides of the main traffic route so they set up ambushes for the isolation of the objective. A mortar platoon was ordered to take position to provide fire support, so it can suppress the enemy while the main forces are being inserted.

In the second wave the commander deployed the main force. One platoon took a security terrain sector 600 meters from the objective, and another platoon moved forward in defilade on the terrain. In the last phase of the exercise, after the installation was cleared successfully, the sub-units of Delta Company were withdrawn.

Photos by the author