Ample Strike Military Exercises Underway in South Bohemia with 760 Troops from 17 Countries

Large-scale international military exercises codenamed Ample Strike have kicked off in southern Czechia, bringing together 760 servicemen from 17 countries, roughly 150 of them foreign nationals. The news was announced by exercise commander Colonel Aleš Čapal.

Held once every two years, the drills focus on training forward air controllers — soldiers stationed directly on the battlefield who coordinate ground troops with air support. "They work to synchronise ground operations with aviation so that aircraft can support units on the ground without causing collateral damage," Čapal explained.

According to him, the procedures used by air controllers are fully standardised, meaning it makes no difference whether the pilot is Czech or from another NATO country.

Scenarios Drawn from Real Warfare

Organisers deliberately model the exercises on real-world conflicts. "We try to incorporate what's happening in the war in Ukraine and in other conflicts into our scenarios, so that troops train under pressure, under stress, under fire, on the move, and in all weather conditions," Colonel Čapal said.

The exercises involve helicopters, aircraft and drones. The air controller's task is to ensure safe targeting of enemy positions and the destruction of a simulated adversary by air support.

Locations and Equipment Involved

The manoeuvres are taking place at the Boletice military training area, at the barracks in Bechyně, and at the airfields in Náměšť nad Oslavou and České Budějovice. Aircraft from Germany, Slovakia, Spain, Hungary, Slovenia and Denmark can be seen in the skies — including L-159 ALCA jets, UH-1Y Venom and Mi-17 helicopters, Slovenian PC-9 turboprops, and German Eurofighter Typhoons.

Ample Strike ranks among the largest air exercises of its kind and is part of a broader series of similar drills also held in Slovenia, France and the United States, in which Czech air controllers likewise take part.

Source: novinky.cz