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DARK BLADE 2019 kicks off in Czech Republic

EDA News - Mon, 05/13/2019 - 10:36

DARK BLADE 2019, the 13th helicopter exercise organised under the umbrella of the European Defence Agency’s Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP), takes place as of today (13 May) at Náměšť airbase in Czech Republic, until 1 June 2019.

A total of 29 air assets (25 helicopters + 4 fixed wing) and some 600 military personnel from six countries - Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia, - will participate in this exercise hosted by the Czech Air Force. DARK BLADE 2019 will allow crews to practice operations in various environment replicating the challenging conditions that participant forces are expected to encounter when deploying to a theatre of operation.

The exercise’s main focus will be on enhancing interoperability at the tactical level between helicopter units by using the Composite Air Operations (COMAO) concept in a combined, joint, realistic and challenging environment.

Its main objectives are to:

  • enhance tactical interoperability between helicopter units from the participating countries by using the COMAO concept in a combined, joint, realistic and challenging environment and to operate using standard helicopter Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs). The focus will be on Composite Air Operations (COMAO) with live firing and trooping;
  • train and practise TTPs with/against fighter jets and electronic warfare means on the ground;
  • improve interoperability in training and operational tasks with Ground Forces involvement (NVG operations, low level flying, formation flights, FARP training, gunnery, etc.) in a full spectrum environment.
     
Programme

Participating crews will fly diverse day and night COMAO missions and execute Air Assault (AA), Air Interdiction (AI), Air Transport (AT), Close Air Support (CAS), Personnel Recovery (PR) missions, night flights (with/without NVG) and other missions at tactical level.

They will also train special procedures like marshalling, fast rope and abseiling techniques, Special Patrol Insertion/Extraction (SPIE), pick-up and drop off procedures, air-to-surface live firing (helicopter door gunnery and sniper training).

In addition, DARK BLADE 2019 will provide multiple opportunities to practice multinational training with the Special Operation Forces (e.g. infiltration and exfiltration) and will enhance crews’ skills in using the HEP Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and COMAO planning procedures in the conduct of tactical missions.

Six instructors from Austria, Sweden and the United Kingdom trained in EDA’s Helicopter Tactics Instructors Course (HTIC) accompanied with some Instructors from the Netherlands trained on the Dutch Helicopter Weapon Instructor (HWI) course will jointly form the DARK BLADE 2019 Mentor Team, ready to support the multinational crews during the preparation and execution of the COMAO missions. The EDA’s Chief Instructor (CI) Team will manage and supervise the Mentor Team to ensure consistency and the best possible uptake of lessons learned coming from EDA helicopter activities (HTC, HTIC, COMAO planning and the EW Course) and operational experience.
 

Distinguished Visitors Day

A Distinguished Visitors Day (DVD) is planned for 28 May 2019 when representatives from all EDA Member States and representatives of Switzerland, Norway and the Republic of Serbia will have the opportunity to attend and observe various live training sessions.
 

Background

The annual Blade exercise is part of EDA’s wider Helicopter Portfolio aimed at providing Member States with a joint European framework to develop, consolidate and share best practices in order to meet the challenges of flying helicopters in a modern operational environment. Other components of this Portfolio are the annual HEP Symposium, the Helicopter Tactics Courses (HTC), the Helicopter Tactics Instructor Courses (HTIC), and the COMAO Planning and Electronic Warfare (EW) Courses.
 

More information:

 

 

Commission: EU tobacco track and trace will be fully functional in a year

Euractiv.com - Mon, 05/13/2019 - 10:04
The much-awaited EU tobacco track and trace system will be fully functional in "maximum one year" after its official launch due on 20 May, a European Commission official told EURACTIV.com.
Categories: European Union

German voters most pro-European and pro-migrant

Euobserver.com - Mon, 05/13/2019 - 09:28
German voters have emerged as among the most pro-European and migrant-friendly ones in a new survey - but most Europeans want to keep out refugees.
Categories: European Union

Gas storage in the energy transition

Euractiv.com - Mon, 05/13/2019 - 09:27
The main value of gas storage has traditionally focused on security of supply, ensuring people can continue heating their homes in the event of a cold spell or a sudden supply cut. That is due to change in the coming years as energy companies compete for new "flexibility" services in a hybrid energy system combining gas and electricity.
Categories: European Union

The evolving role of gas storage in Europe

Euractiv.com - Mon, 05/13/2019 - 09:26
Departing from its usual supply security role, gas storage is vying for a central position in Europe’s vision of a hybrid energy system combining renewable electricity and low-carbon gases like hydrogen. But getting there won’t be a smooth run and regulators are watching closely.
Categories: European Union

[Ticker] US politicians criticise Hungarian leader ahead of White House visit

Euobserver.com - Mon, 05/13/2019 - 09:25
Strained US-EU relations could become visible when Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban visits the White House on Monday. In a letter to US president Donald Trump ahead of the visit, senior Republican and Democratic Congress members urged Trump to raise issues of "democratic trajectory" in the talks. They expressed concerns over Orban's relations with Moscow, deplored decline of press-freedom in Hungary, and urged Orban to return to "democratic roots".
Categories: European Union

[Ticker] Lithuania PM concedes defeat in presidential elections

Euobserver.com - Mon, 05/13/2019 - 09:12
Lithuania's prime minister Saulius Skvernelis conceded defeat in the first round of presidential elections on Sunday, while senior economist Gitanas Nauseda and former finance minister Ingrida Simonyte continue to a runoff scheduled for 26 May. Two-term president Dalia Grybauskaite could not stand again. Skvernelis had said during the campaign that he would resign in July if not making it to the second round.
Categories: European Union

[Ticker] Kaczynski reacts after Polish church child abuse film

Euobserver.com - Mon, 05/13/2019 - 09:09
A Polish documentary film about paedophile priests on Saturday (11 May) had reached nearly seven million views by Monday on YouTube and forced the leader of the country's ruling Law and Justice party (PiS), Jaroslaw Kaczynski, to promise harsher sentences for child abuse at a party convention on Sunday. The film "Just don't tell anyone" by brothers Tomasz and Marek Sekielski, confronts elderly priests with their victims.
Categories: European Union

[Ticker] Pompeo cancels Moscow visit for Iran talks in Brussels

Euobserver.com - Mon, 05/13/2019 - 09:03
US secretary of state Mike Pompeo cancelled a visit to Moscow on Monday in order to hold talks with European officials in Brussels about "Iran and other issues", Reuters reported. EU foreign ministers will also discuss the Venezuela political crisis and the threat of US law suits against European firms doing business in Cuba on Monday. Last week Pompeo skipped meetings in Berlin and Greenland.
Categories: European Union

[Ticker] 180 UN nations agree on export of plastic waste

Euobserver.com - Mon, 05/13/2019 - 09:01
180 UN countries agreed on Friday to amend the 1989 Basel Convention regulating trade of hazardous wastes, to include plastic waste. The US is not a party to the convention, while the Nordic governments in April became the first in the world to formally call for a global treaty to tackle plastic waste in oceans. An estimated eight million tonnes of plastic is dumped into the oceans each year.
Categories: European Union

China defiant as US tariff war escalates

Euractiv.com - Mon, 05/13/2019 - 08:54
The United States and China appeared at a deadlock over trade negotiations on Sunday (12 May) as Washington demanded promises of concrete changes to Chinese law and Beijing said it would not swallow any “bitter fruit” that harmed its interests.
Categories: European Union

Macron’s Renaissance makes its pitch for the EU centre ground

Euractiv.com - Mon, 05/13/2019 - 08:54
The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIV’s media network. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.
Categories: European Union

Future of the Eastern Partnership: The Polish view

Euractiv.com - Mon, 05/13/2019 - 08:50
An “Association Agreements plus” with a secretariat, a rotating presidency, and the creation of a regional economic area. These could be the next steps for the "Eastern Partnership" (EaP) launched 10 years ago, writes Prof. Jacek Czaputowicz.
Categories: European Union

German immigration law will be adopted, despite disagreements

Euractiv.com - Mon, 05/13/2019 - 08:34
Leading German parties have struggled to find a common line on immigration. For the Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP), the draft bill on immigration does not go far enough. EURACTIV's media partner Der Tagesspiegel reports.
Categories: European Union

Eight EU airports among world’s ten worst

Euractiv.com - Mon, 05/13/2019 - 08:34
Eight of the world’s ten worst airports are located in the EU, according to a new survey released by a leading passenger rights group last week. Only three of the top ten airports are in EU countries.
Categories: European Union

[Opinion] Romania's referendum - a bid to combat corruption

Euobserver.com - Mon, 05/13/2019 - 07:47
This month's referendum will test Romanian tolerance of corruption. But will it be enough to stall the epidemic of political graft and impunity?
Categories: European Union

Weekly schedule of President Donald Tusk

European Council - Sat, 05/11/2019 - 14:14
Weekly schedule of President Donald Tusk 10 - 19 May 2019
Categories: European Union

Indicative programme - Foreign Affairs and Foreign Affairs Defence Councils of 13 and 14 May 2019

European Council - Sat, 05/11/2019 - 14:14
Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.
Categories: European Union

Media accreditation for the Informal dinner of heads of state or government on 28 May 2019

European Council - Sat, 05/11/2019 - 14:14
Information about accreditation requirements for the Informal dinner of heads of state or government taking place in Brussels on 28 May 2019.
Categories: European Union

Celebrating 10 years of the Eastern Partnership

European Council - Sat, 05/11/2019 - 14:14
On 13-14 May, the European Union, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine will mark the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership with a number of events in Brussels.
Categories: European Union

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