JTACs from six NATO Allies gathered in the Czechia to practise calling in air strikes from Allied aircraft during Exercise AMPLE STRIKE 20.
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Over the past week Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) from six NATO Allies gathered in Czechia (the Czech Republic) to practise calling in air strikes from Allied aircraft during exercise AMPLE STRIKE 20. It’s the job of the JTACs to make sure military jets hit their target. Held annually in the Czech Republic, the exercise enables JTACs to develop their skills calling in Close Air Support from different Allied jets. This high-stakes, painstaking process can be complicated by language barriers, so practice is crucial. Participating nations included Czechia, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and the United States.
This NATO Multimedia footage includes shots of a Czech JTAC calling in air strikes, shots of Czech soldiers clearing a village and an interview with a Czech SOF JTAC:-
- (00:00) Czech Air Force Mi-24 attack helicopters flying overhead
- (00:05) Czech Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) setting up his hide site
- (00:15) Czech JTAC getting out binoculars
- (00:21) Czech JTAC making a note
- (00:29) Czech JTAC watching a Czech Air Force L-159A attack jet fly by
- (00:45) Czech soldiers disembarking from Czech Air Force Mi-8 transport helicopter
- (00:50) Czech Air Force helicopter taking off
- (00:58) Czech soldiers storming village during exercise
- (01:16) Czech soldiers inside building
- (01:29) soundbite in Czech – Joint Terminal Attack Controller, Czech Army Special Operations Forces “the trainings in AMPLE STRIKE are primarily focused on cooperation between the JTACs, the ground forces and Air Forces.”
- (01:36) soundbite in Czech – Joint Terminal Attack Controller “I surely think it’s good, and that’s for two reasons. On the one hand, all the armies must remain able to fight even during the Coronavirus pandemic. We cannot stay at home in our home office, taking a rest. We must always maintain our abilities. And that is one reason. And the other reason is that this exercise, which is focused on JTACs, provides us this year with the comfort that we will meet the necessary numbers and types of flight guides which are required by regulations.”
