Observation from bird’s-eye view

Patrolling is an integral part of the military observers’ job. Monitoring is not confined to land areas, as from time after time, they conduct aerial patrols to observe a given area from the air. For this reason, the aerial reconnaissance exercise is one of the key elements of their training.

The course participants take off in the H225M helicopters of the Szolnok-based HDF 86th Helicopter Wing. “During the exercise, the students has to reconnoiter and evaluate various events while flying on a designated route, such as flood situations, demonstrations or the movement of military convoys” – said Course Director Major Szabolcs Bakk, Head of Operations and Planning Department, HDF Military Training Centre. – Conducting aerial reconnaissance patrols requires thorough preparation. The students hold a pre-flight briefing for the aircrews in which they determine the things to be observed and the route. They discuss the flight level and the necessary maneuvers with the pilot. During observations, photographs are taken which the students are to evaluate following their return to base.” To sum up, a salient one among the several advantages of aerial observation is that it provides the observers with a more comprehensive picture of potential threats in the areas of responsibility.

The three-week course organized by the HDF Military Training Centre is based on an approved curriculum of the UN. A significant number of the students preparing for UN missions are foreigners: besides Hungarian servicemembers, so far, applicants have arrived from close to 100 different countries to participate in training programs in Hungary. The exercise is a realistic simulation of what the forces serving under the aegis of the UN encounter on a daily basis from the Middle East to Africa to Southeast Asia.