Lion Effort 2012
Szöveg: Balázs Trautmann | 2012. április 13. 10:00Although it took only two days to carry out the flying missions of Exercise Lion Effort 2012, identifying and analyzing the lessons learned will take a long time. Lt.-Col. Csaba Ugrik, the Air Operations Chief of the HDF 59th ‘Szentgyörgyi Dezső’ Air Base and the commander of the Hungarian contingent at the exercise gave us an on-scene summary of the “guest performance” in Sweden, which has been successful in every respect.
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The Hungarian JAS-39EBS HU Gripens took off from Ronneby Air Base in the morning and the afternoon to fly their missions in two waves both on April 3 and 4. The four aircraft and their pilots managed to accomplish 14 out of the total 16 planned missions, by taking off twice to carry out four tasks per day. The aircraft flew the same missions on both days in mixed forces of other nations, focusing on Composite Air Operations (COMAO) and close air support (CAS).
Besides the pilots, there were Hungarian airmen at the base, who were working as ground crews effectively. The JTAC/FAC officers of the HDF 86th Szolnok Helicopter Base provided terminal control not only for the Hungarian aircraft but also for those of all other participating nations. According to the first quick “hot wash", they managed to accomplish around half of these missions, operating only with a staff of two.
In cooperation with the Swedish partners, the participants exchanged important experience in procedures and the use of equipment. Everybody’s way of doing things is a bit different, so both the Hungarian and the Swedish experts were able to introduce some useful novelties to one another. Part of the airspace was open to civil air traffic, so the two Hungarian air controllers played a key role too: they were working as air defence controllers during the exercise. They did a good job, since during exercise Lion Effort 2012 the huge number of military aircraft (from a Hungarian point of view) did not interfere with the air traffic that was going on separated in time and space.
Validating the onboard data transmission system Link-16 was a highly important task for the Hungarian participants. In addition to the Swedish Gripens (equipped with Link-16 too), they received assistance from an SB-89 Erieye AEW aircraft. The Link-16 was involved in the execution of air-to-air tasks during Lion Effort 2012, and performed excellently by Hungarian standards.
Let us also mention that the Hungarian pilots were able to practice complex missions in multinational formations with many aircraft, and it is only multinational exercises like this that provide opportunity for this kind of practice.
Photo: SAAB and the author
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