and special requests like an extra
air compressor or hangar for
structural repairs. Each nation
declares itself ready or not, and
does its own brief. At the end,
‘mission accomplished’ gives
us a good feeling, but it’s even
better when a Dutch guy tells
us the ground support is even
better than in the Netherlands!”
The Koninklijke Luchtmacht
(Royal Netherlands Air Force,
RNLAF) took part with two CH-47
Chinooks and two AS532 Cougars.
Together with Germany, the
Dutch led the group in terms
of experience ‘in the field’. In
contrast, some of the other
participants rarely fly tactical
missions in an operational
environment. There can also be
gaps in regulatory knowledge.
Special forces
Since few air forces can achieve
military objectives without ‘boots
on the ground’, interaction with
army units was incorporated
into most of the scenarios. At
HB18, the ‘boots’ consisted
mainly of Portuguese soldiers.
Special forces were drawn from
different branches, including
army commandos, Esperaçoes
Especiais (special forces) and
paraquedistas (paratroopers)
and the air force’s Núcleo de
Operações Táticas de Projeção
(NOTP), the latter providing force
protection for forward operations.
Some missions were especially
demanding. According to a
Dutch loadmaster, “the work is
intense... to fly two hours requires
ten hours of planning. The terrain
picture is based on Google Earth
details, but is the picture correct?
Yes, we have an in-flight guide,
but we actually have to go out
there and check landing zones
[LZs]. Cables and wires are real
hazards. Once you know that a
summit is not above 100ft, you
stick at 200ft to avoid collision.
At night, Portugal is dark – and
I mean really dark – comparedhttp://www.airforcesmonthly.com #365 AUGUST 2018 // 95
Above: Portuguese Air Force Alouette III serial 19302 kicks up debris as it
prepares to take part in a fast-roping exercise. With retirement of the type
imminent, HB18 may have been one of the last chances to see the venerable
Alouette III in action. Below: A German Army NH90 crewman keeps a close
eye on a slung load. One of the German goals of the exercise was to practise
strategic transport, and the six NH90s arrived in special protective ‘cocoons’
on board a civilian An-124 airlifter. All photos Kees Otten and Wim Das