1. TAIL SPIN
www.rotorhub.com36 Defence Helicopter | May/June 2015 | Volume 34 Number 3
AstheonlyEuropean-basedUSArmy
aviationbrigade,12CABcontinuesto
beheavilyinvolvedinsupportingOperation
AtlanticResolve–NATO’songoingeffortsin
responsetoRussia’sactionsinUkraine.
TheGermany-basedbrigadeisalsotasked
witharangeofmissionsinsupportofEUCOM,
CENTCOM,AFRICOMand‘wherevercombat
aviationsupportisrequired’.
‘In2014,the12CABflewover33,500hours
in37differentcountries,includingAfghanistan,
Iraq,KuwaitandEgypt,’saidFennema.‘Since
April2014,wehavealsobeenheavilyinvolved
insupportingAtlanticResolve.’
US COMMITMENT
Heexplainedthatinlightofincreasedregional
tensionsfollowingRussia’s‘illegalactionsin
Ukraine’,theoperationisademonstration
ofcontinuedUScommitmenttothecollective
securityofNATO.
Thishasincludedenhancedlandforce
multinationaltrainingandsecuritycooperation
activitiestakingplaceacrossEstonia,Latvia,
Lithuania,RomaniaandPolandtoensure
multinationalinteroperability,aswellashelp
strengthenrelationshipsamongNATO’sallied
militariesandcontributetoregionalstability.
‘12CABhasbeenheavilyinvolvedin
supportingthisoperationwithouraviation
units,simultaneouslyexecutingcomplex
missionsinmultiplelocationsacrossEurope
whilstalsobuildinginternationalpartnerships,’
Fennemacontinued.‘NootherCABinthe
armyhasinvestedincultivatingsubstantive
relationshipswithinternationalpartners,
buildingeachother’scapacitiesinwaysthat
enhanceinteroperability,strengthenour
alliancesandhaveastrategicimpact.’
Asexamplesofthis,henotedthatwhen
thebrigade’s2-159thAttackReconnaissance
Battalionexecutedgunnery,itintegrated
GermanandPolishairdefenceartilleryassets,
whileits5-158thGeneralSupportAviation
Battalion(GSAB)recentlyconductedtwo
simultaneousairassaultsinEstoniaandLatvia
thatincludedItalianandCanadianinfantry.
‘WearealsosupportingtheJointMultinational
TrainingCenterhereinGermanydeployingon
tenJointMultinationalReadinessCenter[JMRC]
rotationsthisyearalone.The3-158thAssault
HelicopterBattalion’sparticipationinOperation
SakerFalconinHungarycertifiedthe11thDutch
AirmobileBrigadeastheNATOreactionforceand
validatedtheirslingloadsonUH-60s,allowing
theiradditiontoNATOfieldmanuals,’Fennema
explained.
‘12CABelementshavealsobeenworking
withmultipleformations,includingNATOspecial
operationsforces,toincludeGerman,Slovakand
Romanianspecialforces,andourUH-60Black
Hawksfromthe3-158thhaverecentlycompleted
trainingwithLatvianspecialforces.’
COMMUNICATION IS KEY
Regardinginteroperability,Fennemasaidthe
brigadejustdidanexercisethatincludedsix
differentcountries,butstruggledtocommunicate
withthevarioussystemsinuse.
‘Thecommonoperatingpictureiscritical,
butitneedstobesimplistic.Interoperability
hasneverbeensoimportant,butisnevereasy.
Oneofourbiggestchallengesinmultinational
operationsiscommunications,andwereally
needtoworkthroughthat.’
Healsonotedthatthe12CABhasbeen
leadingthewayinmanned-unmanned
teaming(MUMT).
‘OurMUMTcapabilitycontinuestobe
enhancedwithourApacheunitscontinuing
toexploitthiscapabilityduringoperations
innearbyJMRCatHohenfelswithboththe
ShadowandRavenUAS.The3-158thAHB
haveconductedthefieldworkrequiredtoget
L-3ROVER6videodownlinksapprovedfor
installationinourUH-60s,benefitingtheentire
BlackHawkcommunity.
‘The3-58thAirfieldOperationsBattalion
conductedthefirstproofofconceptexercise
linkingtheTAIS[TacticalAviationIntegration
System]andAirTrafficNavigation,Integration,
andCoordinationSystems[ATNAVICS],an
innovationwhichwillgiveATCunitsanorganic
earlywarningsystem,makingearlyentryunits
moreexpeditionary.’
Onaircraftcapabilities,Fennemasaid12
CABwasabouttofieldthenewBoeingCH-47F,
whichisduetoarriveinmid-2015.
Fennemaconcludedbynotingthatthe
futurewillsee12CABcontinuetosupport
OperationAtlanticResolveaswellasfocusing
onpreparingforthemajorculminationof
almosttwoyearsofmultinationaltraining
duringExerciseAnakonda,whichisscheduled
formid-2016,whilealsoprovidingitsday-to-
daysupporttoUSAREUR,CENTCOM,AFRICOM
andNATO.
‘Theseaircraftalongwithourheadquarters
andHeadquartersCompanyand412th
AviationSupportBattalionallhelpincrease
ourcapabilitiestoconductthewidestrange
ofglobalcontingencymissions,throughout
thefullspectrumofoperations.Theserange
fromdirectactiontohumanitariansupport.
It’sourpeople,trainingandcommitmentwho
continuetomake12CABthego-toaviation
brigade.’DH
European
integrationLt Col Lee Fennema, deputy commander of the 12th
Combat Aviation Brigade (12 CAB), US Army, talks to Patrick
Allen about the operations the unit is currently involved in.
DH-03-15_p36_tailspin.indd 36 29/04/2015 14:36:26