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ISAF
The
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was created in accordance
with the Bonn Conference that was held in December 2001 after the
ousting of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Afghan opposition leaders
attending the conference began the process of reconstructing their
country by setting up a new government structure, the Afghan
Transitional Authority (ATA).
The conference also launched the concept of a UN-mandated international
force to assist the newly established ATA in creating a secure
environment in and around Kabul and in supporting the reconstruction of
Afghanistan. This coalition of the willing, deployed under the authority
of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), is since 11 August 2003
supported and led by NATO, and financed by the troop contributing
nations. The Alliance is responsible for the command, coordination and
planning of the force. This includes providing a force commander and a
headquarters on the ground in Afghanistan. NATO’s role in assuming the
leadership of ISAF in August 2003 overcame the problem of a continual
search to find new nations to lead the mission and the difficulties of
setting up a new headquarters in a complex environment every six months.
A continuing NATO headquarters also enables small countries, which find
it difficult to act as lead nations, to play a strong role within a
multinational headquarters. Belgium is such a small country. With its
contribution to the NATO-led international force it proves that it is a
full member and a reliable partner of the Alliance and that it is
willing to share the burden and risk of deploying and employing such a
force. With its participation in the international headquarters it can
prove that it can do its share in leading large-scale military
operations and even act as lead nation in small-scale ones.
Operation Eastern Eagle
The Belgian Air Component participated a first time with four
Lockheed Martin F-16AM combat aircraft in the NATO-led UN-mandated ISAF
in the second half of 2005. Under Operation Eastern Eagle, the fighter
bombers flew from Kabul Afghanistan International Airport (KAIA) from 14
July 2005 till 14 January 2006 and accomplished between 18 and 22
sorties per week, amassing a total of 715 flying hours over the period
of six months. The detachment was composed of a mix of personnel from
the 2nd Tactical Wing in Florennes (Nos. 1 and 350 Squadrons)
and the 10th Tactical Wing in Kleine-Brogel (Nos. 31 and 349
Squadrons) for the entire duration of the deployment. The main objective
of Operation Eastern Eagle was to temporarily increase the ISAF capacity
and to reinforce peace and stability during the run-up to and the
aftermath of the 18 September 2005 parliamentary elections.
Badges of Nos. 1, 31, 349 and 350 Squadron, the Belgian F-16
units participating in Operation Guardian Falcon
For its first operation in Central Asia, the Belgian F-16
detachment could draw on the operational experience of Dutch F-16 crews
deployed to KAIA since late March 2005, on the broad terrain and threat
knowledge of the Belgian C-130 crews that were flying missions all over
Afghanistan on behalf of the UN and ISAF since 2001 and on the local
support of the Belgian ground forces present in and around Kabul since
2003.
The Koninklijke Luchtmacht
(Royal Netherlands Air Force) deployed four Lockheed Martin F-16AM jets
to KAIA on 28 March 2005. The experience acquired by the pilots,
planners, intelligence analysts and technicians of this detachment was
kindly shared with the Belgian Air Component. The Belgian and Dutch air
arms cooperate closely since long and their interoperability is very
high. From 1996 onwards, they jointly and successfully operated their
F-16s from Villafranca (1996-1998) and Amendola (1998-2001) in Italy to
participate in the air operations over the Balkans. That success was
made possible by the creation in 1996 of the BENELUX Deployable Air Task
Force (DATF) in which air assets of Belgium and the Netherlands were
combined with a tailored Luxembourg security force in order to optimise
the effect of the limited defence resources of the three small
neighbouring NATO nations. The size of this embryonic deployable force
was enlarged during the NATO summit in Istanbul on 28 and 29 June 2004
when the Ministers of Defence of Belgium and the Netherlands and their
counterparts of the other European Participating Air Forces (EPAF)
signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the EPAF Expeditionary
Air Wing (EEAW). EPAF is the alliance established in the late 1970s by
the four European nations that purchased the American F-16 in the
mid-1970s and which were later joined by Portugal when it too acquired
the F-16. To achieve a high degree of interoperability between the
participating F-16 units, EPAF created the Fighter Weapons Instructor
Training (FWIT) in the 1980s. During this theoretical and practical
course, flight procedures are standardised and combat pilots of the
different air arms get accustomed to carrying out missions together. It
also encourages tactical thinking and exchange of experience. EEAW
allows the five small NATO member states to join up their Fighting
Falcons into a cohesive, interoperable and effective combat entity. It
also makes it possible to set up an F-16 force consisting of detachments
of two or more EPAF nations, using in common the weapon systems,
weapons, critical equipment and personnel from all signatory countries,
even when some of these are not deployed. Since its creation, EEAW
expanded its expertise by including aspects such as operational
planning, command and control and logistics. This approach allows a
modular contribution of resources from different EPAF nations to form,
deploy and employ a comprehensive air capability, without overstressing
the capabilities of a single member and with creating an as small as
possible logistic footprint.
From 2001 onwards, detachments of Lockheed C-130H Hercules
tactical transport aircraft of the 15th Wing in Melsbroek
deployed to Afghanistan, operating from within the country or from
neighbouring countries on behalf of humanitarian organisations or ISAF.
During their flights from and to Pakistan and all over the ISAF area of
operations, the crews gathered a wealth of useful information especially
on weather, terrain and possible threats. In both cases, the detachments
were composed of Belgian and Portuguese C-130 aircraft and crews, using
the DATF agreement between both countries as a basis. When the
Portuguese left in the spring of 2005, a close connection was
established between the Belgian aircraft and a Danish Hercules,
underlining once more the high degree of interoperability between small
NATO air arms and their capability to form modularly composed
detachments.
Last but not least, Operation Eastern Eagle could fall back on
support of the large Belgian ground force present at KAIA. The first
Belgian boots on the ground arrived in Afghanistan on 3 March 2003, when
a 160-strong detachment of Air and Land Component troops landed at the
international airport in order to secure it and to keep it open for air
traffic, at first only military, but later also commercial. The Belgian
presence on the ground in and around Kabul came to a peak between August
2004 and February 2005 when around 600 military assisted in securing
KAIA, Kabul and its surroundings. Because of its long experience in
securing and operating Kabul’s airport, Belgium became KAIA Lead Nation
from 1 October 2007 till 30 September 2008. Sharing housing,
nourishment, force protection, logistics and administrative support with
the deployed ground forces made that the overall size of the F-16
detachment could be limited to 65 personnel.
Upon returning to Belgium, the detachment commanders and the
headquarters staff officers all agreed that their deployment to
Afghanistan proved that the proficiency and interoperability of small
air forces has reached such a high level that they can participate
smoothly in larger-scale international operations and even take the lead
in smaller-scale missions.
Operation Guardian Falcon
On 25 July 2008, the Belgian Council of Ministers confirmed its
decision in principle of 1 February 2008 to support ISAF a second time
with combat air assets under Operation Guardian Falcon (OGF). Approval
was given for a deployment of four F-16AM aircraft and 101 personnel
(including one liaison officer at the ISAF Headquarters in Kabul) during
six months, extendible for another six months and starting on 1
September 2008.
The different functions within the detachment were carefully
pondered and are divided in groups as follows under a 4-strong command,
including one pilot-Detachment Commander (DetCo): 13 in the Group Air
Operations, including six pilots; 51 in the Group Logistics, including
all aircraft maintenance personnel; and 33 in the Group Defence and
Support, including a 15-strong Force Protection and a small, 2-strong
Medical Detachment. This composition closely reflects the traditional
structure of a present-day flying unit of the Belgian Air Component and
thus adheres to the principle “Train as you fight”. Personnel rotate
every four months, except for pilots, who are relieved every six weeks
in order to avoid excessively prolonged battle stress and in order to
maintain their flying qualifications in Belgium. Apart from the liaison
officer, who is based at the ISAF HQ in Kabul, all personnel are
deployed at Kandahar International Airport, also known as Kandahar
Airfield (KAF).
Kandahar
International Airport
is located approximately 10 miles south-east of Kandahar City in the
southern province of Afghanistan with the same name. It was built in the
1960s with US financial and technical assistance. The airfield
was occupied by the Soviets in 1979 and severely damaged in the 1980s
during the Soviet-Afghan war. It sustained further damage during the US
raids in October 2001, when the Taliban government was being removed
from power.
From 2007 onwards, KAF has been rebuilt and is now being used for both
military and commercial flights. At present, it houses nearly 14,000
military from over 15 coalition nations.
The Belgian detachment was allocated its own living area at KAF.
That area was cleared of mines, but still had to be equipped almost from
scratch. That is why a preparatory team of construction experts of the 4th
Engineer Battalion in Amay and of the Field Accommodation Unit (FAU) at
Beauvechain Airbase left for Kandahar on 8 August 2008 to prepare the
infrastructure and housing for the Belgian detachment. Personnel and
high value equipment were flown in by Belgian Air Component Airbus
A.310-222 and C-130H Hercules transport aircraft as well as by a pair of
Antonov An-124-100 Ruslans leased in the framework of the multinational
Strategic Airlift Interim Solution (SALIS) agreement, of which Belgium
is one of 15 NATO signatories. Heavy and bulky equipment was sea
freighted by container ship. As KAF regularly comes under attack by
mortars and rockets, special attention has been given to protect the
installations against such projectiles. Apart from the obvious bunkers,
blast walls have been erected between the individual housing units and
workplaces. These already proved their effectiveness on 15 December
2008, when a rocket impacted on one of the blast walls, limiting the
effect of the explosion to some minor injuries inflicted to three
Belgian military, who could leave the Canadian field hospital at KAF
after a medical check-up.
On 1 September 2008, four F-16AM aircraft of the 2nd
Tactical Wing left Florennes Airbase and arrived at KAF the following
day for a first four month long rotation under Operation Guardian Falcon
1 (OGF 1). The second rotation, OGF 2, started in January 2009 and will
be superseded by OF 3 in May 2009 if the extension of the operation is
confirmed by the Council of Ministers. Personnel of OGF 1 originate
mainly from the 2nd Tactical Wing and are supported by
smaller numbers from among others the 10th Tactical Wing and
the Defence Headquarters in Evere. For OGF 2 and 3, the main effort will
come from Kleine-Brogel Airbase.
Mission
The general mission of all national and international actors in
Afghanistan is to recreate the State of Afghanistan following the US
invasion of the country, which took place in response to the 11
September 2001 attacks and ended the Afghan civil war that started in
1978. To fulfil this mission, the international community uses
political, economic and military means. The latter are represented by
the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and the US-led
Operation Enduring Freedom.
The overall task of ISAF is to assist the Afghan government in
extending its authority and in creating a secure environment allowing
humanitarian assistance and reconstruction of the war-beaten country.
This means, in concrete terms, that ISAF puts its military forces into
action to conduct stability and security operations in coordination with
the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF),
i.e. the Afghan National Army
(ANA) and the Afghan National Police (ANP). The implementation of a
stable and secure environment represents an essential basis to enable
and facilitate the political and economic reconstruction of the country.
Belgian Air Component Lockheed Martin F-16AM FA-117 (and
FA-69 higher) over Afghanistan during Rotation 1 of Operation Guardian
Falcon (OGF 1). The standard configuration of Belgian F-16s in
Afghanistan consists of a pair of
Raytheon AIM-9M Sidewinder infrared air-to-air missiles on
stations 1 and 9, a pair of laser guided Texas Instruments GBU-12
Paveway II 500 pound (225 kg) general purpose bombs on stations 3 and 7,
510 20 mm rounds for the internal General Electric M61A1 Vulcan cannon
and chaff/flares in the Pylon Integrated Dispensing Systems (PIDS) in
the two bomb pylons. Two Sargent-Fletcher 370 US gallon (1,400 litres)
underwing fuel tanks on stations 4 and 6 provide the necessary range and
loiter time over the target area, while the Lockheed Martin
AN/AAQ-33 PANTERA/Sniper XR on station 5bis is used for
target detection, identification and designation.
(© Vador – Belgian Air Component)
The Belgian F-16 aircraft provide Close Air Support (CAS) to
ground forces of ISAF and of ANSF accompanied by an ISAF Operational
Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) with an embedded Tactical Air Control
Party (TACP). While the Belgian aircraft flew only missions around Kabul
and in the areas North and West in 2005, they can now intervene
everywhere in Afghanistan. The air-to-air refuelling (AAR) capability
gives the F-16 sufficient range to reach even the most remote corners of
the country and the two
Sargent-Fletcher 370 US gallon (1,400 litres) underwing fuel tanks
carried on stations 4 and 6 provide a loiter time of around two hours
over the target area. For AAR, the Belgian detachment relies mainly on
Dutch, French and American tanker aircraft.
CAS missions are mainly flown in order to protect the Lines of
Communications (LOCs) between the major centres in Afghanistan and to
safeguard the Freedom of Movement (FOM) of ISAF and ANSF. CAS missions
can be pre-planned or immediate. Examples of pre-planned missions are
reconnaissance or observation of LOCs and escorting of convoys in order
to timely detect ambushes or roadside bombs. Their course is fully known
and the missions are fully planned by the pilots before take-off.
Aircraft are available for such missions during 12 hours per day. During
the other 12 hours, two aircraft are on CAS Quick Reaction Alert (QRA),
while the other two serve as back-up in case of a technical breakdown.
QRA aircraft provide CAS to ground troops in immediate need for such
support. This duty is assured alternating by the Belgian and Dutch
detachments so as to provide a CAS QRA service around the clock, seven
days a week. During Operation Eastern Eagle, the CAS QRA aircraft were
on Readiness State 90 (RS 90), although most aircraft were airborne in
about 30 minutes after the alert was given. It is believed that the same
readiness state applies for Operation Guardian Falcon.
Rules of engagement
The Rules of engagement (ROEs) have not been made public, but
according to Major Jeroen “Poeske” Poesen, Commanding Officer of No. 31
Squadron and DetCo of OGF 2, the Belgian F-16s are deployed in support
of ISAF and ANSF, but can – in strict cases of direct life-threatening
situations – also intervene on behalf of Operation Enduring Freedom
(OEF). OEF is the US-led
multinational operation initiated in October 2001 to counter terrorism
and bring security to Afghanistan in collaboration with Afghan forces.
Interventions in support of OEF are never pre-planned.
The Belgian aircraft are tasked by the ISAF Headquarters in
Kabul, where a Belgian liaison officer supervises that all tasks are in
line with the national directives. This so-called red card holder will
countermand all tasks that do not comply with the Belgian national
caveats. In addition to this, the Belgian DetCo can appeal to a legal
advisor, who is embedded within the detachment at KAF.
Response is always progressive or gradual. Initially, pilots will
try to ease up tension on the ground just by showing their presence. A
high speed low pass of a pair of combat jets is often sufficient to
dissuade threatening opposing militant forces from further action
without the risk of escalating the situation unnecessarily. A next step
is show of force. The ROEs allow pilots to fire warning bursts with the
F-16’s internal 20 mm cannon. The aim of show of force is to deter by
showcasing one’s capabilities and will to act if provoked without
engaging in all-out hostilities. Only when neither “show of presence”
nor “show of force” can prevent the opposing forces to back off, pilots
will proceed to armed intervention.
Standard configuration
To
fulfil their mission, the aircraft carry a standard weapon load
consisting of 510 20 mm rounds for the internal General Electric M61A1
Vulcan cannon, two 500 pound precision guided bombs and a pair of
short-range air-to-air missiles. The use of these weapons is enhanced by
a number of new features implemented into the F-16 weapon system
recently.
Lockheed Martin F-16AM FA-111 (bove and below) at
Kleine-Brogel Airbase showing the standard weapons load carried by the
type during Operation Guardian Falcon in Afghanistan: AIM-9M Sidewinder
air-to-air missiles, GBU-12 Paveway II precision guided bombs, 20 mm
rounds for the internal cannon and chaff/flares in the PIDS of the bomb
pylons.
Although flying guns fell into disuse during the past decennia,
they proved to be very useful in recent conflicts as they represent a
very precise and powerful way of showing force with a very low risk of
collateral damage. Furthermore, the
new high velocity, low drag M70 ammunition has increased the cannon’s
range in such a way that accurate fire can be opened from distances
beyond the effective range of most anti-aircraft weapons present in the
Afghan theatre.
The laser guided Texas Instruments GBU-12 (Guided Bomb Unit)
Paveway II 500 pound (225 kg) general purpose bombs, which are carried
on stations 3 and 7, are the most suited weapons in the Belgian Air
Component’s inventory for armed interventions. Their high precision and
small explosive charge in combination with strict ROEs reduce the risk
of collateral damage to the best achievable minimum. GBU-12s are
detonated by a tail mounted Motorola FMU-139 electronic or Ordtech M-905
mechanic fuse. When launched at high altitude and high speed, the bombs
have a range that keeps the launching aircraft outside the effective
envelope of the anti-aircraft armament of the opposing forces.
Alternatively, the 500 pound (225 kg) GPS-guided Boeing GBU-38 Joint
Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) can be carried. As guidance kits for the
Mk.82 bomb body have not yet been delivered to the Belgian Air Component
– at present it only has the GBU-31, built around the 2,000 pound Mk.84
bomb body, in its inventory – these weapons will have to be provided
temporarily by other coalition partners.
During
Operation Eastern Eagle,
the Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) threat level was assessed as medium
because man portable infrared surface-to-air missiles like the Russian
built Kolomna Strela-2 (SA-7 “Grail”), its Chinese reverse
engineered variant Hong Nu-5 (Red Cherry) and the US-made
Raytheon FIM-92 Stinger were
widespread in the region. There were also strong indications of the
presence of the Kolomna Strela-3 (SA-14 “Gremlin”) and Igla
(SA-18 “Grouse”), although the use of the SA-18 remained unconfirmed
during Operation Eastern Eagle. The latter has now been removed
completely from the threat list. Anti-aircraft artillery (AAA),
especially the Russian built four-barrel 23 mm self propelled ZSU 23-4
anti-aircraft gun with its RPK-2 “Gun Dish” radar, was not considered a
great threat in 2005 as most of the heavy AAA guns had been destroyed
earlier and because the use of light AAA was not an observed tactic
then. This is still valid. Moreover, present-day tactics make aircraft
operate at medium altitude, far above the effective range of this type
of AAA. As a consequence, carrying a Northrop Grumman AN/ALQ-131
electronic countermeasures (ECM) pod was then and still is today deemed
not necessary. The threat of small arms fire and rocket propelled
grenades (RPG), though omnipresent, is considered, as in 2005, low for
high-speed aircraft such as the F-16.
GBAD threats thus remain at large unchanged since Operation Eastern
Eagle. As a consequence, countermeasures applied today are the same as
in 2005 and mainly consist of adapted
operational procedures and the use of flares and chaff against infrared
sol-air missiles and radar guided AAA respectively. Aircraft operate at
medium altitude, which is made possible by the use of precision guided
weapons and high performance sensors as well as by the absence of long
range anti-aircraft weapons. To avoid small arms fire and SAMs during
take-off and landing, so-called Grail-departures and Grail-recoveries
are generally applied. Immediately after take-off, aircraft build up
speed at very low level before initiating a fast and steep climb, which
keeps them out of the effective envelope of small arms and Man Portable
Air Defence Systems (MANDPADS). Landings are initiated high over the
airfield at altitudes far above the ceiling of the most common sol-air
missiles present in the theatre. Descents are made with the engine
idling in order to minimise the aircraft’s heath signature.
When on the ground, the most important threat to the aircraft
comes from mortar or rocket attacks. These, however, miss accuracy
caused by the low degree of sophistication of the weapons used and the
large distances from which they are fired. Kandahar Airfield and its
surroundings are defended mainly by the Royal Air Force Regiment, and as
an expert of the airfield defence unit of the 10th Tactical
Wing put it: “These guys are doing a first rate job over there”.
Although
the air threat over Afghanistan is low, the aircraft carry a pair of
Raytheon AIM-9M Sidewinder infrared air-to-air missiles on stations 1
and 9 for self-defence as a complement to the internal cannon.
Recent years saw the introduction of a number of new capabilities
that considerably improve the use of the F-16 as a weapon system.
Most Belgian F-16 aircraft are now at Mid-Life Update Tape M4
(MLU-M4) software and hardware standard. This means that they are among
the most modern and most capable combat jets of the world today.
During
its meeting of 31 March 2006, the Belgian Council of Ministers approved
the procurement of 8 AN/AAQ-33 PANTERA
(Precision Attack Navigation and Targeting with Extended Range
Acquisition)
advanced targeting pods as a complement to the 8 AN/AAQ-14 LANTIRN (Low-Altitude
Navigation and Targeting Infra-Red for Night)
pods acquired in 1997. The contract with Lockheed Martin Missiles and
Fire Control was signed on 7 February 2007 through the foreign military
sales programme and the first pods were delivered early in 2008. The
PANTERA pod is
the export version of the Sniper XR (Extended Range) and performs
substantially better than its predecessor.
Its third generation high-resolution FLIR (Forward Looking Infra-Red)
and daylight CCD-TV camera combined with an almost rock-steady
stabilisation system give the pod an unparalleled long-range target
detection, identification and designation accuracy from altitudes of up
to 40,000 feet, which is 3 to 5 times better than that of LANTIRN. The
pod can be operated from distances outside the lethal envelope of most
ground-based air defence systems, as well as outside jet noise ranges
for urban counter-insurgency operations.
The built-in digital data recorder allows saving images and bringing
them back for further analysis, adding new capabilities in meeting the
challenges of non-traditional intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance.
The AN/AAQ-33 PANTERA
(Precision Attack Navigation and Targeting with Extended Range
Acquisition)
advanced targeting pod, commonly known by its US designation
"Sniper" pod
PANTERA’s laser spot tracker, laser marker and real-time video
downlink improve coordination with ground forces and reduce
sensor-to-shooter time considerably. TACPs equipped with a Remotely
Operated Video Enhanced Receiver (ROVER) can in near real-time obtain
secure TV quality infra-red and daylight images from PANTERA pod
carrying aircraft.
The pilot’s situational awareness is improved by data that he can
receive through the aircraft’s secure Link 16from other aircraft and
sensors present in the theatre.
The use of Night Vision Goggles (NVG) during Operation Eastern
Eagle not only improved the pilot’s combat effectiveness during the
night, but also enhanced flight safety. From OGF 2 onwards, pilots are
also using the recently acquired Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System
(JHMCS). This system, developed by Video Systems International (VSI), is
connected with the aircraft’s radar and weapon system and projects the
most critical flight and target data graphically on the pilot’s visor.
This increases flight safety and situational awareness as the pilot can
continue flying safely without having to check critical flight data on
the Head-up Display (HUD) or in the cockpit regularly. It also broadens
the pilot’s narrow field of view through the HUD of a mere 20° in front
of the aircraft to an angle as wide as the pilot’s ability to move his
head and eyes to the left and right or up and down. JHMCS enables the
pilot
to accurately cue onboard weapons against enemy aircraft or ground
targets just by looking at them, a feature realised by a pair of cameras
in the helmet constantly following the movement of his eyes and by a
magnetic field in the cockpit registering every movement of his helmet.
Adapting and calibrating a new helmet to an individual pilot takes about
four hours and was done by personnel of the Section “Survival” of the 10th
Wing. Specialists of Boeing assisted personnel of the unit’s Section
“Integrated Weapon System” in making the cockpit of the aircraft
JHMCS-compatible, which mainly means installing a control panel, the
necessary interfaces for the system and seat and helmet position
sensors. This took around two hours per aircraft. The first flights with
the new helmet were carried out by the 10th Tactical Wing on
13 November 2008. According to Commandant Henk “Joss” Desnyder, MLU-M4
and JHMCS project officer at Kleine-Brogel Airbase, pilots only need one
additional flight to accustom to the new helmet. The programme will be
completed by 2010. The aircraft deployed under OGF 1 were not yet
adapted for the use of the JHMCS. That is why they were replaced by
modified aircraft in early January 2009.
Belgian F-16AM pilots used night vision goggles
operationally for the first time during Operation Eastern Eagle in
Afghanistan in 2005. The newly acquired Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing
System is at present being used for the first time during the ongoing
Operation Guardian Falcon. JHMCS is NVG compatible.
Preparations
Of the many coalition partners present at KAF, the Belgians work
closest in association with the Dutch. The many years of working
together in NATO, DATF, EPAF and FWIT make that this professional
collaboration runs very smoothly. The main areas of cooperation are AAR
(e.g. the Belgian aircraft that deployed to KAF in January 2009 were
supported by a Dutch KDC-10), mission preparation (e.g. exchange of
intelligence) and mission support (e.g. delivery of liquid oxygen for
Dutch F-16s by Belgian Hercules transport aircraft). On the other hand,
missions are always flown in pairs, but the aircraft never originate
from different nations.
During the four months preceding their deployment, personnel are
trained in the application of the ROEs in the air and on the ground, the
procedures of collaboration with troops on the ground as well as the use
of all weapon systems eligible to be operated during their tour of duty.
Pilots also receive a thorough training in individual survival skills in
environments ranging from the boiling hot desert to the freezing cold
mountains. To that end, the standard European theatre survival kit in
the ACES II ejection seat of the F-16 has been adapted to the Afghan
theatre. The dinghy has been replaced by extra water rations, additional
means for storage of water collected in nature and extra waterproof and
thermally insulating protective clothing. Survival essential equipment
like the individual handgun with ammunition, a GPS-linked emergency
radio with extra batteries and distress signalling equipment are worn
directly on the body in a specially developed combat vest.
Major Jeroen “Poeske” Poesen, Commanding Officer of No. 31
Squadron / 10th
Tactical Wing and DetCo of Rotation 2 of Operation Guardian Falcon (OGF
2) shows the specially developed combat vest that is used to carry
survival essential equipment directly on the body. Although rather
bulky, it does not hamper the pilot while flying his
aircraft.
As said before, workplaces and the rest and relief zone have been
engineered in such a way that they offer maximum protection against
mortar and rocket attacks. In addition to that, a warning system for
incoming rockets and shells is deployed at KAF and all Belgian personnel
have been made familiar with the appropriate procedures to follow. The
15-strong national Force Protection has three major tasks. In the
operational zone of the airfield, they keep an eye on the Belgian
aircraft. At the entrance of the Belgian rest and relief zone, they
check all personnel and visitors. Finally, they are, like all other
nations, responsible for the safety of their own VIP-guests. Locally
hired manpower and local suppliers represent the main threat in all
these cases, albeit a rather low one as they all have been screened and
checked thoroughly before. All Belgian personnel also received profound
specific mission oriented training. Briefings on cultural awareness must
allow them to develop good relationships with the Afghan population by
respecting their values, traditions and customs. In order to combat drug
smuggling and human trafficking, they were also made familiar with signs
and indications helping them to detect such these activities.
To prevent retaliation against relatives of deployed pilots,
their identity is not revealed. The press is also requested to publish
only photographs with faces and nametags made unrecognisable. The sole
exception to this rule is the DetCo, who also acts as contact point for
the press.
Provisional results
The Belgian Air Component is not reluctant to release much detail
on Operation Guardian Falcon as long as it is ongoing. Missions are
flown daily and can last up to four or five hours with one or two AARs.
On average, the four aircraft total around 200 flying hours per month.
According to Lieutenant-General August Van Daele, Chief of Defence,
armed intervention deemed necessary during “a number of these missions”.
Belgians in Afghanistan
In addition to the 100 military at KAF in the framework of
Operation Guardian Falcon, more than 300 other Belgian Defence personnel
are active in Afghanistan. The majority of these, 261, are based at
KAIA, where Belgium was lead nation in securing and running the military
airport, from 1 October 2007 till 30 September 2008. Also present in
Kabul are 14 Belgian Defence staff members, 9 at the international ISAF
HQ and 5 as Liaison Officers between ISAF and Belgian troops.
Twenty-five Belgians reinforce the German Provincial
Reconstruction Team (PRT) in the northern province of Kunduz. Two are
active at the ISAF Regional Command - North HQ in Mazar-e Sharif.
On 5 January 2009, a 16-strong advance party of a Belgian OMLT
left for Kabul. Eventually, the team will reach a numerical strength of
69, 21 of which will be full-time mentors and another 21 dual-hatted
mentors. During a period of twelve months, the Belgian mentors will
train the 1,200 personnel of the 2nd Battalion / 2nd
Brigade / 209th “Falcon” Corps of the ANA, at first in Kabul,
later at the unit’s barracks situated just north of the city of Kunduz.
The ANA has an authorised strength of 134,000. Little over half of these
(68,000) had been trained by the end of 2008. On the occasion of the
departure of the advance party, Major General Eddy Testelmans, Head of
the Land Component, revealed that new equipment like Improvised
Explosive Device (IED) jammers and Harris Falcon III AN/PRC-117F
Multiband Manpack Radios had been acquired specifically for this
mission.
The advance parties of Rotation 2 of Operation Guardian
Falcon and of the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team for the 209th
ANA Corps are seen boarding Airbus A.310-222 CA-02 at Melsbroek Airbase
in the early morning of 5 January 2009. The aircraft brought them to
Dushanbe International Airport, Tajikistan, from where they travelled by
Lockheed C-130H Hercules tactical transport aircraft to Kandahar
Airfield and Kabul Afghanistan International Airport respectively
From what precedes, it is clear that the Belgian Defence is
taking its fair share of burden and risk throughout the numerous
military interventions UN, NATO and EU are part in at present.
Participation in international operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo,
Lebanon and Chad shows that the leadership, equipment and training of
the Belgian military is keeping pace with the major large armed forces
of the western world.
* * *
Text and pictures by
©
Jos Schoofs
(January
2009)
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