Zero Point Battle On Land And In The Air

Hundreds of soldiers, and also retired generals, officers, and non-commissioned officers have accepted the invitation of the high command of the Hungarian Defence Forces, and paid a visit to the ’zero point’ shooting range located in the vicinity of Veszprém, to participate in the technical day of the most extensive exercise this year.

It is a tradition on exercises Deployment Direction, held annually for the past four years, that prior to the so-called visitors’ day, the main tasks, the capacities of the participating personnel, and technical equipments are demonstrated in the framework of a technical day, specifically for active or retired soldiers.

The most important aim of Deployment Direction 2008 was that the Hungarian Defence Forces could demonstrate how they act in the course of completing national security tasks. In accordance with that, the maneuvers were based on introducing a battalion combat team combined with sharp shooting – monitored by the guests.

At the opening event of the 7th October technical day, General András Havril, MoD Chief of Defence Staff said: in maneuvers Deployment Direction, they are indeed showing direction for the troops year by year – namely what the main task of next year’s exercise will be.

In 2005, on the first Deployment Direction tactical exercise, they demonstrated the military’s tasks laid down in legal provisions, its capabilities, and the module-system organizational structure of the battalion and the brigade to the civil and professional audiences.

In 2006, exercise Deployment Direction was built on the application options of the operative brigade based on module units. This exercise was a preparation for the Hungarian Defence Forces’ commitment in Afghanistan, in other words, the deployment of the Provincial Reconstruction Team. In addition to that, another target was to check and demonstrate the capabilities offered to NATO – that of force protection and limited military police capability –, MILES simulation system was used for the first time in the framework of the exercise, and since then, it has been an important basic instrument in the training of soldiers.

Last year, the key target of the exercise was to examine the uniform command-control system of HDF Joint Forces Command (established following the military reform) and the subordinate military organizations in action. In addition to that, in the previous year so-called crisis reaction operations to be solved in peaceful conditions had an important role as well. Among these tasks, the exercise schedule included the practice of managing crisis situations in the first place, that is protection against floods, acting in industrial disasters, considerable environmental damage, and serious traffic accidents.

"We have decided back then that in 2008, we would be presenting the tasks of national defence, and its basis, the battalion combat team on maneuvers Deployment Direction" – emphasized General András Havril, who was accompanied to the technical day by the Greek Chief of Defence Staff, General Dimitrios Grapsas, and Lieutenant General (Eng.) László Tömböl, Commander of HDF JFC.

On the visitors’ day dynamic demonstration, the battalion combat team based on the infantry battalion strengthened with a tank platoon and an armour-piercing rocket battery, demonstrated halting and driving back armed enemy forces intruding the country. The battalion combat group was supported by an artillery battery on land, and from the air by a squad consisting of four Mi–24 combat helicopters, and three Gripen fighters. Tank cannons, howitzers were thundering, the controlled and uncontrolled rockets, and the tracking missiles of BTR armoured combat vehicles were flying, and the rifles of infantrymen were rattling. The visitors could monitor the events on two giant displays.

At the end of the spectacular forty-minute demonstation, HDF JFC Deputy Commander Major General Tibor Benkõ, who also acted as the narrator, said: the battalion combat team has completed its task, it has repelled the enemy behind the original borderline. Following that, it has reloaded its forces in order to be ready to drive back another possible hostile attack.

Following the ’battle’ fought on land and in the air, the personnel of the battalion combat team were greeted by General András Havril. The chief of the defence staff said: the personnel have completed their tasks routinely in the extensive frontline. It was clear for the observer that the soldiers are familiar with and capable of fulfilling their respective tasks.

"My first impression was that you have completed your tasks confidently and successfully; the work accomplished in the past months could be seen clearly" – emphasized General Havril.

In front of the ’zero point’ inspection tower, in the site designated for the static demonstration, the audience of the technical day examined the regular technical equipment of the Hungarian Defence Forces. Among others, the mobile biological laboratory, and some of the recently developed devices, for instance the chemical-radioactive reconnaissance combat vehicle constructed on a BTR bodywork, the radioactivity reconnaissance container installed on a Mi–24 combat helicopter, and the modernized Mi–17 cargo helicopter, which is capable of completing MEDEVAC tasks were exhibited.

In addition to the abovementioned, the visitors had an opportunity to learn more about the activities of the low-water bridge construction company, the water purification company, the fuel service point, and the advance flight control team, and they examined the mobile radio locator station, the calibration and test laboratory of the aircraft repair plant, the fire engines used in airports, and the vehicles used to move materiel in the field.

Following the demonstration, General András Havril has told upon the inquiry of journalists: the Hungarian Defence Forces have five similar battalions, which are capable of completing the tasks of national defence any given time, with some supplementary items.

"The core of the formation is an infantry battalion, which is capable of joint forces- and interservice operations with various supplementary modules. And this is what makes the formation powerful. Our basic objective is that Hungary could always have a defence capacity with which we can react promptly, and prevent any possible attack to the country at the right time, in accordance with the actual scale of exposure" – underlined the chief of the defence staff.