Special Forces conduct international exercises in May

Exercise Flintlock 26 was organized by the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) in Ivory Coast and Libya. The program focuses on developing counterterrorist cooperation and strengthening the partner countries’ special operations capabilities. The participants are working together in a complex training environment: from making staff-level plans to directing joint operations to carrying out tactical tasks in the field. The designated objective of the program is to increase interoperability, i.e., to ensure that the military units of different nations can efficiently cooperate during joint operations.

The Hungarian engagement in the exercise was more significant than earlier. Some 40 Hungarian SF operators joined the joint training, which is an important step forward in cooperation. Besides, the Hungarian troops contributed to the success of the program not only by executing tasks but also as active participants of the planning processes.

Exercise African Lion 26 was organized in Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia with the participation of close to 40 countries. The Hungarian SF troops performed joint-force tasks in ground and air environments in Morocco. One important element of the exercise was the Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) training, during which the Hungarian soldiers prepared Ghanaian and Moroccan units for providing care for casualties on the battlefield.

As part of the program, live firing exercises were held day and night, where the Hungarian soldiers honed their tactical and marksmanship skills together with their Ghanaian, Moroccan and Israeli partners. This year, Hungarian snipers also participated in the exercise, where they performed mentoring tasks as well. For the first time this year, the exercise was also supported by Hungarian Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) mentors, who shared the lessons learned about the control and coordination of aircraft.

The soldiers’ international presence shows well the commitment and professional preparedness of the Hungarian Defence Forces to the allied forces. The lessons learned on multinational exercises contribute to supporting the forms of global security cooperation.