Recapturing an Airport “in the SOF Way”

The HDF Special Operations Forces are preparing for the strict NATO Special Operations Forces Evaluation (SOFEVAL) as the lead nation, first in the region. The SOF exercise is being held with the integration of NATO evaluators, as the objective of the exercise for the multinational Special Operations Air Task Group (SOATG) – comprising Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia – and the Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) is to receive the Mission Capable rating. According to the fictitious scenario, several pieces of critical infrastructure can be found in Nagykanizsa, a hospital and an airport, among others. In the task, the personnel of the HDF 5th Territorial Defence Regiment acted as the friendly forces.

The Quick Reaction Forces (QRF) placed on a twenty-minute standby at Sármellék Airport were informed about the attack on a piece of the critical infrastructure, but they did not know which one was affected. Based on data from the Skylark UAV carrying out reconnaissance in the region, they found out which premises had been attacked, and then the multinational SOATG began to recapture the airport together with the SOTG. In parallel, the medical support team and the EOD technicians also arrived on the scene. Service personnel arrived on land and by air to recapture the airport, and they succeeded, following a long fight.

Several attackers have been captured, but during the fights, some servicemembers suffered limb and chest injuries. SOF Combat Life Savers (CLS) were the first to start to provide care. After taking the injured personnel to the rear, their condition was stabilized and they were taken care of, with the help of professionals of the HDF Medical Centre. Those suitable for air transport were medevaced by helicopters, while the other injured servicemembers were transported by ambulance.