Outside the Downwash of Rotors

In the interest of successful mission accomplishment, they have several pieces of military equipment on hand, which are compatible with the development of modern warfare and are to be complemented with further items in the future.

The ALO is tasked with carrying out the HUN PRT commander’s orders related to air operations, and with facilitating the landing and take-off of inbound and outbound helicopters at the helipad of Camp Pannonia in the area of operation. Efficiently cooperating with others, the ALO helps with preparing and forwarding the requests for airlift and restricted airspaces as well as deconflicting aircraft in space and time.

The JTACs’ duties include the planning, requesting and directing of the close air support (CAS) and the helicopter-assisted close combat attack (CCA) as well as the air reconnaissance missions, and the tasks involved in Personnel Recovery (PR) and non-unit-related cargo. Together with the ALO, they form the Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) of the PRT S3 Operations Section.

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operated by the IMINT section has been helping the Hungarian troops’ task execution for almost two years now in the theatre of war in Afghanistan.

The UAV operators are responsible for transmitting live pictures from the camera of the aerial vehicle to the PRT operations center. The analysis of these pictures enables the detection of sources of danger along the flight path. Using the UAV requires continuous contact and coordination on the part of the air controllers, so their synchronized and efficient teamwork is the key to success.

Whenever the patrols set out for longer trips, they must always comprise the JTAC capability – this was what Col. Dr. Romulusz Ruszin, the commander of the HUN PRT-11 ordered earlier. Reinforcing the patrols with JTAC officers is necessary because they are the only ones who are authorized to keep contact with the supporting aircraft.

Photo: Maj. László Bártfai