PELEDA

PUMA FORCE DEPLOYS TO OP PELEDA 22

Written By: Flt Lt Raph Winstanley RAF Benson and the Puma Force once again found itself back in the world of High Readiness tasks, taking over from 1AAC Wildcats.

One such task was to step up the UKs presence in Eastern Europe and to support NATO exercises in the Baltic Region and so, in June, elements of Aviation Task Force 3 (ATF3) and three Pumas deployed to Lithuania.

Our task, operating under the name ‘Op PELEDA’ was a varied one, but centred around demonstrating the ability for Joint Helicopter Command assets to deploy rapidly and demonstrate the UKs intent to support NATO allies in the region. An operating base was quickly established at Šiauliai Air Base, whilst the Pumas transited across Europe with comms support from 244 Sigs, aircraft refuelling from Tactical Supply Wing (TSW) and members of Joint Helicopter Support Sqn (JHSS) establishing Helicopter Landing Sites (HLS) and Underslung Load (USL) capabilities. Concurrently, the J3 Ops team set about establishing contact with local and NATO forces initiating the activity planning that would

keep the detachment busy for the next month.

To begin with, the aircrews and JHSS delivered a considerable amount of safety and familiarisation training to hundreds of personnel from Lithuania, Portugal and The Netherlands taking part in a series of exercises. Ex GRIFFIN THUNDER involved Portuguese Marines conducting Helicopter Assault Force (HAF) troop insertions, Aerial Recce and Casualty Evacuation training whilst Ex FIERCE WOLF involved operating with the Juozas Vitkus Engineer Battalion of the Lithuanian Army.

HAF training was also undertaken with the Limburgse Jagers, a light infantry regiment of the Royal Netherlands Army, with the objective to insert an engineer support assault force by helicopter to clear a remote village location and secure a person of interest. With each Puma capable of carrying 12 fully equipped soldiers the aircrews executed concealed low-level approaches to

successfully deliver the assault force achieving surprise on the objective.

It wasn’t all delivery of training, the Puma crews also found themselves very much on the receiving end, courtesy of some RAF fast jet colleagues. Two Typhoon aircraft from 6 Sqn based at RAF Lossiemouth provided the opportunity to undertake some evasion training, the helicopters flew at low level to avoid detection, before dodging the jets by completing aggressive manoeuvres and use of simulated counter measures. Opinion may be divided but let’s call the result a draw.

Another key task was to support our Baltic allies, with this in mind, we were delighted to take part in several engagement activities. Helicopters with engineers and support staff flew to Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia, to join other allies from Denmark, Estonia, Poland, and the USA in celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the formation of the Latvian Air Force. UK personnel took the opportunity to chat with their Latvian counterparts and posed for a considerable number of photographs. Three helicopters then took part in a flypast to mark Victory Day in Estonia in front of thousands of people on the crowded streets of Kuressaare on Aaremaa Island. The celebrations commemorated the victory at the Battle of Vonnu in 1919 which proved a turning point for the Estonian War of Independence, since the fall of the Soviet Union the day also celebrates all Estonian Forces who fight to retain that independence. ATF3 detachment personnel were also invited to take part in the formal handover ceremony of the Commander of Šiauliai Air Base, joining the flypast and parade alongside our Lithuanian hosts.

As always, none of this would have been possible without the wide range of specialists who deployed alongside the aircraft. With a packed flying program,

unfamiliar logistics chains and an unexpected Lithuanian heatwave, which saw temperatures 1520 degrees C above normal, the engineers worked through the night to keep the aircraft serviceable. JHSS and TSW personnel spent much of their time deployed in austere field locations providing fuel and managing HLS locations, without which the aircraft would not have been able to operate away from the MOB.

Handing over to our larger Chinook cousins, Puma Force returned to RAF Benson in good order in July readying itself to take on the challenge of taking over the SH role in Brunei and Cyprus as well as being held at Very High Readiness for Op VENTUS in the Caribbean.