BOLETICE TRAINING AREA, Czech Republic — The Czech Republic’s largest annual exercise concluded on Sept. 16, 2022. Ample Strike 22 is a Czech-led, multinational, live-fire exercise conducted in various training areas across the Czech Republic. Participating countries include Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United States of America.
The exercise offered joint terminal attack controllers (JTACs) from multiple nations training that increases proficiency, standardization, and interoperability between NATO allies and partners. A JTAC’s role in combat is to direct the action of combat aircraft engaged in close air support and other offensive air operations from a forward position on the battlefield.
The 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, based out of Katterbach, Germany, supported the exercise with the addition of six AH-64 Apache attack helicopters.
“12th CAB’s role is to reinforce the commitment that we have to our NATO allies and partners here,” said Capt. Keary Salls, task force officer in command, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion (Attack), 3rd Aviation Regiment, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade. “We continue to work on our integration with them and how we fight our nations’ wars.”
At the conclusion of the roughly two-week exercise, 60 personnel from 12th CAB facilitated 24 missions, totalling 133 hours flown. 18 live-fire missions were flown over Boletice Training Area where they expended all of their ammunitions: 2970 rounds of 30mm and 200 HA13 rockets.
Roughly 700 personnel from the Czech Armed Forces hosted approximately 200 international participants.
“I am amazed by how detail oriented and how impressive [the Czech] air operations have been to date”, remarked Salls. “I continuously learn from them and we look forward to working with them again in the future.”
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