Tatra Freedom exercise series spans across Slovakia from Michalovce to Bratislava
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- Date: 11.04.2019
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A second exercise of the Tatra Freedom exercise series took place practically across the whole of Slovakia on 8-12 April 2019. Over 220 service personnel deployed on the exercise, with nearly 30 assets from the SVK Air Force’s Command, Control and Surveillance (C2S) Wing Zvolen. The Wing has its assets stationed almost across the whole of Slovakia. From East Slovakia’s Michalovce all the way close to Bratislava.
Members of the C2S Wing Zvolen and the Radar Surveillance Company Michalovce were the primary training audience. Michalovce-based troops transported some of their equipment to the Biela Hora Tactical Drills Range, from where they carried out radar surveillance tasks. Lt Col Miroslav Mišovic, Commander of the Operations Centre, C2S Wing Zvolen, stressed that the Tatra Freedom exercise series represents a training activity which perfectly tests the ability of the SVK Air Force and SBAD components to defend the Slovak Republic. He said: “In designing this year’s exercise, we learned from pluses and minuses from previous years. For example, consider Ex Air Shield 2018. It was aimed at exercising command and control of air operations at a time of a crisis and in a state of war. As part of NATINAMDS.”
NATINAMDS (NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System) is an integrated air and missile defence system of NATO member states, which detects, tracks, identifies and monitors flying objects (aircraft, helicopters, UAVs and ballistic missiles) in airspace and deploys land and air assets to intercept them. NATINAMDS came into existence by merging the NATO Missile Defence (NATO MD) system and the NATO Integrated Air Defence System (NATINADS).
During the exercise, a Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) acted as a command and evaluation authority. Operators of the Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) went through all the procedures that may be applicable in conduct of an air operation. The exercise was controlled by the CAOC in a distributed manner and supported by members of the Operations Centre, C2S Wing Zvolen, who helped run the air operation.
A wide range of simulated scenarios inspired by real life circumstances were played out during the main phase of the exercise. They included responding to industrial accidents, chemical leakage incidents, terrorist threats, and intruders trespassing on military installations. Also involved in the initial phase of the scenarios were members of the Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade Nitra, though the exercise tested the efficiency and effectiveness of the SVK Air Force’s entire structure.
According to Lt Col Mišovic, the exercise represents an excellent training activity and one of the most important exercises of the C2S Wing Zvolen this year. This is because the exercising troops tested their skills in planning and exercising command and control of air and land operations and of logistics, defence and protection missions.
For their work during the exercise, Lt Col Mišovic, who served as Chief of the Battle Staff, gave special commendation, among others, to Maj Igor Pohanka, Cpt Tatiana Habalová, Maj Jozef Drdol, and Cpt Marek Považan.
Members of the C2S Wing Zvolen and the Radar Surveillance Company Michalovce were the primary training audience. Michalovce-based troops transported some of their equipment to the Biela Hora Tactical Drills Range, from where they carried out radar surveillance tasks. Lt Col Miroslav Mišovic, Commander of the Operations Centre, C2S Wing Zvolen, stressed that the Tatra Freedom exercise series represents a training activity which perfectly tests the ability of the SVK Air Force and SBAD components to defend the Slovak Republic. He said: “In designing this year’s exercise, we learned from pluses and minuses from previous years. For example, consider Ex Air Shield 2018. It was aimed at exercising command and control of air operations at a time of a crisis and in a state of war. As part of NATINAMDS.”
NATINAMDS (NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System) is an integrated air and missile defence system of NATO member states, which detects, tracks, identifies and monitors flying objects (aircraft, helicopters, UAVs and ballistic missiles) in airspace and deploys land and air assets to intercept them. NATINAMDS came into existence by merging the NATO Missile Defence (NATO MD) system and the NATO Integrated Air Defence System (NATINADS).
During the exercise, a Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) acted as a command and evaluation authority. Operators of the Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) went through all the procedures that may be applicable in conduct of an air operation. The exercise was controlled by the CAOC in a distributed manner and supported by members of the Operations Centre, C2S Wing Zvolen, who helped run the air operation.
A wide range of simulated scenarios inspired by real life circumstances were played out during the main phase of the exercise. They included responding to industrial accidents, chemical leakage incidents, terrorist threats, and intruders trespassing on military installations. Also involved in the initial phase of the scenarios were members of the Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade Nitra, though the exercise tested the efficiency and effectiveness of the SVK Air Force’s entire structure.
According to Lt Col Mišovic, the exercise represents an excellent training activity and one of the most important exercises of the C2S Wing Zvolen this year. This is because the exercising troops tested their skills in planning and exercising command and control of air and land operations and of logistics, defence and protection missions.
For their work during the exercise, Lt Col Mišovic, who served as Chief of the Battle Staff, gave special commendation, among others, to Maj Igor Pohanka, Cpt Tatiana Habalová, Maj Jozef Drdol, and Cpt Marek Považan.
