combat aircraft

N

ÁMĚŠŤ AIR BASE in the

Czech Republic seems

an unlikely place to  nd

Arizona Air National

Guard (ANG) F-16s at

work. However, with the

increasing rounds of deployments to

Europe, that’s exactly where the 195th

Fighter Squadron headed on August

27, as six ‘Vipers’ from the parent 162nd

Fighter Wing headed o from Tucson,

Arizona, bound for eastern Europe. It

was the  rst time in more than 30 years

that the squadron had sent aircraft to

Europe, and it was doing so in order to

participate in the Czech-led exercise

‘Ample Strike 2018’.

The exercise itself ran from August 31

to September 15 at various locations

throughout the Czech Republic. It was

essentially a live  re exercise intended

to increase pro ciency levels for joint

terminal attack controllers (JTACs)

and to improve standardization and

interoperability among NATO partners.

‘Ample Strike’ has come a long way since

its  rst iteration in 2002, which saw eight

aircraft working with a small Czech and

British team of JTACs. This year saw 19

countries and 20 JTAC teams supported

by over 40 varied aircraft and helicopters,

and in excess of 1,000 troops. The Arizona

F-16s  ew alongside German Euro ghters,

Czech JAS 39C Gripens and Mi-24 ‘Hinds’,

and Learjets from civilian contractor GFD.

Polish Su-22 ‘Fitters’ had been scheduled

to participate but they were grounded

following a MiG-29 crash earlier in the

summer. In addition to the Arizona F-16s,

US participation included a JTAC team as

well as a B-52H Stratofortress of the 307th

Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana,

and a KC-135R Stratotanker of the 155th

Air Refueling Wing, Nebraska ANG.

State partnership

Maj Thomas ‘Wellen’ Dowd served as the

project o cer for the deployment to the

Czech Republic. An active-duty pilot with

the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke AFB, Dowd

is on a detachment to the Tucson unit.

‘Our participation in this exercise is a direct

result of the State Partnership Program,

which allows National Guard units of

various states to develop relationships

with selected partner countries around

the world. In this case, both the Texas

Arizona Air National Guard

F-16s have been in the

Czech Republic for a major

close air support exercise

alongside NATO partners.

REPORT AND PHOTOS

James DeBoer

A ‘Warhawks’ F-16C fl ies over

Hluboká Castle in the course

of an ‘Ample Strike’ sortie.

http://www.combataircraft.net // December 2018 61