11 Airmobile Brigade and the Defence Helicopter Command have demonstrated how good cooperation can lead to improved skills. These army and air force units practised stopping a suspect car by use of helicopters on 20 January. The training exercise, which was part of a series lasting several days, was held at the Oirschotse Heide near Eindhoven.

The operation began with an Apache helicopter flying low over the vehicle and keeping it in its sights. A Chinook transport helicopter then brought in infantry, who made the driver get out of the car. The entire operation took just under 4 minutes.

Air Manoeuvre Brigade

For several years the airmobile brigade had been unable to train tactical scenarios with helicopters, due to expeditionary operations in Uruzgan, Afghanistan. The end of the mission has now made more time and resources available to improve the level of training. The training was conducted by the Charlie ‘Tiger’ company of 11 Airmobile Infantry Battalion and forms a step on the road to operational readiness status of 11 Air Manoeuvre Brigade in 2012.

defensie.nl