The Kecskemét Pumas Have Been Admitted To The Tigers

On the first four days of the week, from the 395 tasks that had been planned in advance 383 were actually completed, including the ’sortie’ of fighters, helicopters, and the AWACS. However, fighters complete 95 percent of all the aerial tasks. The identical types of aircraft of the combined air operation (COMAO) have fought two-against-one aerial combats against the aircraft of the ’enemy’ forces (Red Forces), but units comprising various types of planes have excelled in four-against-two and six-against-four aerial combat as well. In the course of defensive aerial activity four-against-four fights were typical. The exercise requires four large airspaces above Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and France, parts of which are above the sea.

The first weekend was not for relaxation either, since the so-called ‘Spotter day’ on Friday was followed by the Sanicol air show on Sunday. The humid weather in the morning of the air show did not favour the demonstration of a few aircraft, thus they cancelled their flight, but the Hungarian Gripen was able to show the crowd (tens of thousands) its program. Only sports aircraft and helicopters land at the grass-covered airport of Sanicol, the other planes have arrived above the airport either from Kleine Brogel, the venue of the Tiger Meet, or as the Vulcan bomber, they have flown over La Manche.

On the second week of the exercise we will see new participants in the formations, the British Merlin helicopter will have a CSAR (combat search and rescue) task and the Swiss display formation, Patrouille Suisse have left behind two of their F–5s after they have participated in the air show. Onboard the two Swiss aircraft the pilots will complete real combat tasks.

Monday evening the Hungarian unit stationed there received good news. On the basis of their performance at the exercise, and their approach to the spirit of the ‘Tiger Meet’, as it had been recommended by the representatives of all participating nations it was announced that the Kecskemét ‘Pumas’ (cougars) have been admitted to the ‘Tigers’. Nevertheless, it also means that they will have a difficult job, for first there is a probation period of two years and only after that can they be full members. In the coming two years they will have to participate in the ‘Tiger Meet’ joint air force exercises where they will have to give a quality performance as regards their achievements, expertise, and spirit.

In the southern part of Belgium, at the airport of Florennes there will be another Hungarian unit during these two weeks, the personnel of the HDF 86th Szolnok Helicopter Base. The helicopter corps, the HDF 34th László Bercsényi Special Operations Battalion, and the HDF 25th/88th Light Mixed Battalion will take part in a European joint forces tactical exercise, ‘PEGASUS 09’. Ten troops of the unit, with Lieutenant Colonel József Koller as their commanding officer, are on a professional visit to Kleine Brogel, they have arrived today on a Mi–17 and were received by Lieutenant Colonel Csaba Ugrik, who also showed them the process of preparing for the daily tasks and the assessment.

There won’t be time to rest during the remaining days of exercise ‘Tiger Meet’ either – until Friday, when they will fly home, the fighters of the participating nations will continue to go on ’sortie’ with the same intensity.