The Belgian Special Operations Regiment (SO Regt) has been training in America on the border between California and Arizona.
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Press Release, Brussels, 14 November 2024: [auto-translated] The Special Operations Regiment (SO Regt) has been training from 28 October to 18 November in America, on the border between California and Arizona. The focus has been on carrying out assignments from the third dimension, the airspace. Operators are mainly deployed via military free fall at very high altitudes. Drop teams also carry out air supplies at this altitude.
Parachutes in a vast desert landscape, desolate palm trees and an impressive A400M taxiing over the runway: these are the ingredients for the SO Regt exercise EAGER EAGLE. Here the soldiers practice one of their greatest specialities; discreetly reaching a target by inserting small teams through the air, at very high altitude. The Special Operations Regiment works closely with the 15th Wing for this, with one of its A400M transport aircraft. The integration between the different units is crucial for the success of such missions.
At least once a year, the Special Operations Regiment trains in the United States. Depending on the period and the possible assets, the training location is determined, as in the past it has been done in Yuma and Mississippi. This year, the SO Regt is working for the first time with a private company in a non-military context at Blythe Airfield.
Qualifications: Commander Stijn De Groof, organiser of the exercise, explains: “One of the major objectives here is to have the operators obtain their qualifications for jumping at very high altitudes, after which they can carry out certain actions from the drop zone, such as a sabotage operation, freeing hostages or rescuing a pilot.” This is the only opportunity of the year to train military free fall tactically.
Airspace, weather and opportunities: The location is the perfect training backdrop for several reasons. “The airspace in Europe is saturated, while here we can go up to 25,000 feet (over 7.5 km altitude) . In addition, the operators have a huge training area of 50 to 60 kilometres on the ground, with few restrictions,” says the detachment commander.
Also the good weather conditions and the quality of the infrastructure are important assets to train the parachutists when that is not possible here. Specific techniques and procedures can also be practised, such as supplying by air at very high altitude, landing on an unpaved runway, etc.
Advanced real-world training: The main players in the exercise each have their own Tactical Operations Center and scenario writers to be able to carry out a mission in all its facets (full mission profile) .
The region’s 22 tactical drop zones allow for training on rough terrain, along mountains, rivers and valleys. And the rural environment facilitates the integration of new objectives. “There is a lot involved in preparing for such complex operations. Individual skills are key here. That’s why an operator needs to be very strong, both cognitively and physically,” the commander explains.
And the risks? They are ever real, as evidenced by a memorial in Yuma, in memory of a Special Forces Group colleague who died during a 2018 exercise.
Partner countries side by side: With the participation of soldiers from the United States and the Netherlands, the integration of international partners is an important part of the exercise: “We can currently integrate an American team into one of our detachments, which allows us to exchange all techniques and procedures and learn from each other. Belgium will often have to cooperate with partner countries in the future. Thanks to this cooperation, this will run smoothly down to the lowest level,” concludes commander De Groof.
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