Helicopter training programme Black Blade is now underway with over 400 personnel expected to take part in the exercise.
Taking place between the 14th November and 2nd December, the programme will see a total of 14 air assets from four member states – 13 helicopter from Belgium, Slovenia, Austria and one Falcon from the UK.
This marks the 10th helicopter exercise under the umbrella of the EDA Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP).
The HEP is one of the EDA’s helicopter training projects and programmes that seeks to enhance the operating skills of helicopter crews across Europe allowing them to play a key role in increasing the deployable helicopter capability for contingency operations.
Black Blade is a Special Operations Forces focused helicopter exercise, concentrating on developing interoperability at a tactical level in a realistic and challenging environment.
Participants will be given a unique chance to plan and carry out missions within a joint combined framework over a three-week period.
One of the specific focuses of the training will see the coordination and integration of the Belgium Special Operations Ground Forces into individual scenarios as part of the exercise.
EDA Chief Executive, Jorge Domecq, commented: “The 10th edition of the Helicopter Training Exercise Programme, comes at a moment when European defence is high on the political agenda. The 10th edition is a milestone for this programme, the EDA and the Member States involved.
“Exercise Black Blade is European defence cooperation in action. It represents a dynamic and tangible example of what cooperation among the Member States can achieve. It also highlights the importance of joint training as a prerequisite to enhance interoperability and a key enabler to ensure readiness to deploy. A positive step forward for European defence”.
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Post written by: Matt Brown
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