German special operations forces flying in Finnish helicopters

During the air-ground integration training at Southern Griffin, NATO special operations forces practised tactical deployment in multinational teams. Collaboration increases the Alliance’s flexibility and sustainability. The German contribution to the exercise, Silver Dagger, was also part of the Quadriga Bundeswehr-wide large-scale exercise.

A small team of German special operations forces has completed a mission, but cannot be picked up by the requested aircraft due to a change of situation in the landing zone. In order to avoid jeopardising the mission’s success, the pickup has to go fast. However, the only available helicopter at the nearby Special Operations Air Task Group (SOATG) is a Finnish NH-90.

Special operations forces train for scenarios like this during air-ground integration training, as at the Southern Griffin special operations forces exercise in Finland. Specialised forces and special operations forces from nine NATO countries practised rapid deployments and pickups together in order to increase their interoperability in the event of an emergency. In addition to training established procedures, they also tested what is possible.

With the engine running: “Only a few minutes on the ground”

“Procedures for airborne operations are an integral part of training for all NATO special operations forces. But every country has different aircraft. And even if the helicopter itself is familiar, the armed forces’ various versions of it are different”, explains special operations forces senior NCO Wolfgang P. But, as he points out, the more you practise the individual processes, and the more variants you are familiar with, the faster you can grasp each new variant. 

Personnel must conduct rapid drop-offs behind enemy lines, which personnel from the command call “hot drops”, in a very short amount of time. “Any stationary target is a good target. A hot drop shouldn’t take longer than three minutes”, says P. Accordingly, in the Air Force’s A400M transport aircraft, the engines of the light air-transportable utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) – the special operations forces’ vehicles – can already be started during landing. The cargo ramps will then open before the aircraft comes to a halt. Not a single second is wasted. In enemy-controlled areas, a landing zone automatically becomes a danger zone that the operational forces must leave behind as fast as possible in order to avoid jeopardising their mission.

Seeing what is possible

But Southern Griffin was not just about increasing speed across different countries. The special operations forces used the opportunity to test limits: What vehicle only just fits in a Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey? What can be quickly taken apart and reassembled? How many minutes does it take me to land when the GPS is jammed and I only have a map and compass? 

“In Finland, the armed forces are not tied to training areas. We land in completely unknown terrain without initial reconnaissance. That is special”, says P., adding: “Getting four-wheel ATVs, six-wheel ATVs, materiel and casualties on board with the cable winch – this was a chance to just try out what’s possible and how you can do it faster”.

Interoperability increases flexibility and sustainability

Lieutenant Colonel Alexander T., who is a pilot and project officer in 64 Helicopter Wing, is convinced that joint air-ground integration training strengthens the NATO special operations forces’ operational capability. As deputy commander in the superior Special Operations Air Task Group (SOATG), he is responsible for air support operations planning for Southern Griffin. He says: “Not every nation has the capability for a tactical airlift of its special operations forces. The more operational forces are familiar with the procedures, the broader the NATO members’ scope of action”. If one country lacks the necessary capabilities, another country’s capabilities can compensate for them. This increases cooperation, flexibility and sustainability in the Alliance. What matters to senior NCO P. is: “If our own helicopters aren’t available, I can always use another one. Everyone knows what to do”.