Defence`s Feeds

The Alexander Lukashenko regime has, according to our sources, taken an unprecedented pro-Russian stance. Evidence of this can be seen

On 17 October, former Secret Intelligence Service (SIS or MI6) officer turned investigator Christopher Steele, director and joint founder of

New York: Kroll waiting for Smerling fraud moneyBusiness intelligence group Kroll is still waiting for money from James Feltman, who

Scopa Industries, the recently-launched private Saudi defence company, owned by the Ajlan & Brothers Holding Group (ABHG) directed a major charm offensive at the French defence industry at the Euronaval naval defence exhibition, which took place at Paris's Le Bourget

Butterfly Effect, a Kazdream technology group (IO, 02/09/22) spin-off specialising in telephone interceptions and open-source intelligence (OSINT), is in the

Kazakhstan's Republic Day was celebrated in Astana 25 October with great pomp and circumstance. The night before, in Paris, the

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has recently called for urgent fundraising - $17m through the Ukraine Recovery Fund, notably for damaged

Changes to the charter of the Russian Institute of Strategic Research (RISI) enshrined in a presidential decree on 20 October aim

Two important parties met on 20 October in Paris to sign a memorandum of understanding between the French financial intelligence

According to Intelligence Online's sources, Israel's ActiveFence made moves to pitch its anti-fake news software to the European External Action Service's East StratCom

Tel Aviv-based company R.S. Logistical Solutions (RSLS) in mid-October demanded Bancroft Global Development and its subsidiaries to disclose documents about

The European Defence Agency’s 8th Helicopter Tactics Instructors Course (HTIC), which ran over seven weeks at Airbase No1 in Sintra (Portugal) and Pápa Air Base in Hungary, was successfully completed.

The course began on 29th of August with a two-week classroom phase, followed by a two-week simulator phase at Airbase No1 in Sintra. After a week of recovery and transfer of aircrafts a three-week deployment to the Pápa Air Base in Hungary where participants engaged in live flying exercises.  Supported by personnel from the Hungarian Defence Forces and Pápa Air Base, the flying phase included a complex operational scenario employing dissimilar formation flying, evasion training against a range of airborne threats, Electronic Warfare (EW) against both ground-based and airborne systems and a variety of additional tasks such as Helicopter Assault, Convoy Escort and Mutual Support. The course was led by the EDA HTIC Chief Instructor Team and participated by Austrian, Czech, German, Hungarian, Portuguese, and Swedish crews flying on four different types of helicopters: UH-60, CH-47, H145M and Mi-171.

The Staff Instructors came from Austria, Germany, The Netherlands, and Sweden, together with some contracted support provided by Inzpire Ltd. Also, fixed wing support was provided by units of the Czech Alca Jets and the Hungarians Gripens, acting mainly as threats during the helicopter training. In addition, EW assets and personnel were provided by Austria and Hungary.

In total, 12 Bronze, 8 Silver and 5 Gold qualifications were awarded ensuring an important contribution to the international cadre of Helicopter Tactics Instructors (HTI).

Background

The Helicopter Tactics Instructors Course (HTIC) is an advanced helicopter training activity aimed at creating helicopter tactics instructors which are enable train nationally standardised tactics procedures to foster interoperability of the European helicopter units, their level of preparation, and to facilitate readiness for future deployments. This is done independently of the type of helicopter used. It is delivered since 2013 in UK and Sweden. From the year 2021, its location changed to Airbase No1 in Sintra (Portugal), where the ground and simulator phase of the course is executed, and to Pápa Air Base (Hungary), where the flying phase is delivered.

HTIC provides aircrew from participating nations with the skills and knowledge to teach advanced tactics to front-line aircrews from within their own national organisations and to assist in delivering the EDA’s Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP), the Helicopter Tactics Course (HTC) and future HTIC. Successful graduates from the course are awarded a qualification recognised by other Member States.  HTIC development courses run over two years: in the first year, prospective instructors refine their own knowledge of advanced helicopter tactics to the maximum degree. In the second year, when the formal HTI qualification is achieved, the emphasis shifts to develop the participants’ ability to teach those tactics. In turn, Instructors who have demonstrated excellent abilities in delivering the course will be individually selected to come back a third time and teach alongside the existing instructional staff to finally achieve their Gold instructor qualification to become supervising instructors for future HTIC and/or components of the HTIC Chief Instructor Team.

The three main elements of HTIC include Evasion Training, Electronic Warfare, and advanced Operations.  They are initially taught as stand-alone skills before being brought together in a complex, non-permissive environment in the framework of the planning and execution of Composite Air Operations (COMAO).

It should be noted that although the main focus of the course is projected in the helicopter crews, all participants (e.g., jets, EW systems operators, ground troops, supporting personal) also obtain an important training benefit.

 

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s new Central Military Commission (CMC), set up on 23 October, confirms President Xi Jinping's short term goal to reinforce the People's Liberation Army (PLA)'s operational readiness for flexing its muscles in the Taiwan Strait. This

Emirati cybersecurity chief Mohamed Hamad Al-Kuwaiti travelled to Singapore during Singapore International Cyber Week (SICW), which took place from 18

According to information obtained by Intelligence Online, Russia and Iran are poised to sign a deal for 200 drones in the

France's Azur Drones, a small company based near Bordeaux, will deliver several Skeyetech autonomous surveillance drones to Saudi Arabia in the coming

France - DGSE goes green to justify pricey new head office. To soften the blow of the price tag on

Japan's embassies abroad have recently received instructions from the Japanese foreign ministry to influence other country's appreciation of Japan's strategic

In his 19 October report on French defence financial previsions, MP Jean-Charles Larsonneur, of the centre-right Horizons political party, provides news on

Scribe Strategies & Advisors partner Joseph Szlavik, aka Joseph Szlavik-Soto, made a series of trips to Europe in mid-October, including