The Joint Training Was Successful

Hungarian-US joint air assault exercise Load Diffuser 2010, conducted beween 26 April-7 May at the HDF 59th ’Dezsõ Szentgyörgyi’ Aviation base has ended. As it was said on the Friday press day closing the training event the objective of the exercise was to gain experience and share best practices during joint maneuvers as well as to practice NATO combat procedures and so-called cross-servicing.

Every corps of the Hungarian Defence Forces were represented in the two-week training event, with more than 350 troops, 8 Gripens and 2 MiG-29 fighters participating in the exercise. Furthermore a Mi-24 combat helicopter and a KUB anti-aircraft weapons system were also given tasks during Load Diffuser 2010. From across the ocean, the Americans deployed eight F-16 fighters and the ground technical crew in charge of servicing to Kecskemét.

The American airplanes and their crews participating in the joint training exercise have turned out to be perfect partners for the Hungarian party because their cooperation has given us an opportunity to practice air defence and assault maneuvers individually and in formation. The joint Hungarian-US training was also a great opportunity for anti-aircraft command units to practice – we were told on the press day of the exercise.

In the last two weeks, US and Hungarian fighters have completed more than 220 takeoffs and spent 234 hours in the air. Unfortunately, the weather upset the soldiers’ plans twice: owing to the closure of airspace after the volcano eruption in Iceland the Americans arrived two weeks later and there was also a storm that burst so fast that planned flights had to be delayed.

The leaders of the Ministry of Defence and the US ambassador to Hungary have also paid a visit to Kecskemét during the event. Defence Minister Imre Szekeres said at the press conference closing the program that the tactical exercise conducted in Kecskemét in recent days was a special event, as for Hungary the most important thing is the control and protection of its airspace. And this exercise was about this security and protection. On the other hand, it was also about the cooperation the Hungarian Defence Forces and the Ohio National Guard have formed.

The defence minister added: today Hungary is entirely safe, for four of the seven neighbouring countries are the members of NATO or the European Union, and the North Atlantic Alliance has a Partnership for Peace agreement with two of them. In case there is any kind of risk, it can only come from the air. Therefore in past years the development of the Hungarian Air Force and anti-aircraft defence were strategic issues.

The cooperation of the air forces of these two countries on this level requires a great knowledge and a high level of technical expertise – said Imre Szekeres, adding that the Hungarian Defence Forces cooperate with the Ohio National Guard in ’live situations’ as well, in Afghanistan: they jointly operate an OMLT in the Asian country in order to train an Afghan battalion.

The minister also emphasised that at the current training exercise both countries have shown their most advanced technology because Hungarians deployed Gripens and MiG-29s and the National Guard deployed their F-16s.

In the second half of his speech Imre Szekeres talked about this year’s International Air and Military Show, to be held on 7-8 August at the Kecskemét Aviation Base. It will be one of the most exciting air shows in Europe and there is also a special occasion, for Hungarian military aviation and aircraft aviation celebrate their 100th anniversary this year. To date, twenty countries have confirmed their participation in the two-day program.

In her address, Ms Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States emphasised that the partnership program between the Hungarian Defence Forces and the Ohio National Guard is one of the most significant cooperations of this type in the world. Their cooperation in Afghanistan sets a good example to other states and exercise Load Diffuser was a good opportunity for deepening this cooperation.

The ambassador pointed out that the activity of the Hungarian Defence Forces and the Hungarian Air Force within NATO greatly contribute to the fight against terrorism. And since we do not know when and where the next attempt will happen, we must always be ready. Men and women serving in the Hungarian Air Force have every reason to be proud of what they are doing for the fight against terrorism.

Exercise Load Diffuser was a good opportunity for the soldiers of the two air forces to further develop their cooperative skills – underlined Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis, who continued with telling journalists that the United States of America is very proud of the cooperation with Hungary, the aim of which is to develop further capabilities and with their help, serve our common objective, the security of the nation.

General (eng.) László Tömböl, MoD Chief of Defence Staff said as it is laid down in the Constitution, the duty of the Hungarian Defence Forces is to protect the territorial integrity of the country and the sovereignty of its airspaces. In addition to this, within the framework of the alliance Hungary cooperates with the military organisations of other countries in peace support operations and if necessary, in Article 5 operations as well.

In order to be able to carry out these tasks, the Hungarian Defence Forces must have capabilities – added the chief of defence staff – but these capabilites have a technical and a human side. Technical equipment can be purchased but at the same time they have to be operated and what is more, in a masterly manner, at home and within the alliance framework as well. Therefore the most important part of capability development is the preparation and training of personnel. First we have to obtain these capabilites in order to be able to perform our duty.

Gen. Tömböl emphasised: an exercise is the peak of every training task. During training exercises soldiers can demonstrate in a complex form how much of the necessary knowledge they have mastered.

In the opinion of the MoD chief of defence staff, in the last two weeks US and Hungarian soldiers have completed a highly successful exercise in Kecskemét. The success is due to the large number of takeoffs as well as the complexity of tasks.