Page 36 - AirForces Monthly - Issue 381 (December 2019)

Exercise
Report Sea Breeze 2019

Black Seawar games

Vladimir Trendafilovski reports on the 19th edition of the
annual Sea Breeze multinational maritime exercise, co-hosted
by Ukraine and the US, and held in the Black Sea and on
Ukrainian territory since 1997.

T he main goals of all means at its disposal, starting (naval operations in the Danube) – approximately 900 troops
This year the ground component
with exerting economic pressure
Sea Breeze include
was notably enhanced.
As is customary, the exercise
strengthening maritime
and the US, with armoured and
Sea for civilian commercial ship
security and stability in the by blocking off access to the Black consisted of an initial and an from Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine
Black Sea region by improving traffic from the Danube. This was active phase. In its initial phase, unarmoured vehicles of all types
co-operation and interoperability followed by clandestine missions during the first week, exercise – formed a Multinational Battalion
between participating nations. The to smuggle in weaponry and participants achieved a required (MNBN). This was headquartered
latest iteration ran from July 1-12 and special operations forces (SOF) level of interoperability by taking at the Chabanka training range,
involved no fewer than 20 countries: personnel aboard civilian ships, part in a series of basic ‘scripted’ situated at a major Zbroyni Syly
Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, in order to launch subversive events involving standard tasks. Ukrayiny (ZSU, Ukrainian Armed
Estonia, France, Georgia, Greece, actions to disrupt normal life in the The active phase began in the Forces) base in Chornomorske,
Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, friendly country. This ultimately second week and was organised in some 13 miles (21km) northeast
Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, led to internal turmoil, an excuse a ‘free play’ format – in which none of Odessa and not far from the
Sweden, Turkey, UK, Ukraine and for the rogue nation to launch an of the participants in an exercise Black Sea shore. The Ukrainian
the US. Together, they contributed all-out military campaign against event are aware of the task in servicemen came from the
around 3,000 service personnel, 70 it, with conventional airborne and advance and thus have to act 503rd Naval Infantry Battalion
vehicles, more than 30 vessels and amphibious landing operations. immediately upon a set of orders (503 obmp) of the Viys’kovo-
almost 30 aircraft and helicopters. The task of the friendly forces received in real time from the Mors’ki Syly (VMS, Ukrainian
The exercise had sea, land and air was to mount a peacekeeping Maritime Operations Centre (MOC). Navy), while the US servicemen
components and multiple phases operation under UN mandate. First, The MOC was again fully were from the US Marine Corps
conducted at various locations in they had to disrupt all attempts organised under NATO standards, – more specifically the Marine
the Kherson, Mykolayiv and Odessa by the rogue nation to destabilise acting as the multinational Rotational Force-Europe (MRF-
districts of Ukraine, plus an at-sea the friendly country and then, headquarters of the peacekeeping E) 19.2 stationed in Norway.
phase which took place in Ukrainian once open hostilities began, task force. Consisting largely of Ships and divers attending the
territorial and international waters. defeat its landing forces and bring Ukrainian personnel, it was tasked exercise were again stationed at the
order to the affected region. with planning and preparing all main VMS naval base in the port
This year’s specifics Although similar to scenarios orders for each exercise event of Odessa; its SOF element was
For 2019 the exercise scenario from previous years, this year in accordance with a basic set at the VMS SOF base in Ochakiv;
focused on a ‘neighbouring rogue the exercise operations were of tasks and rules, provided by while the amphibious element (part
nation’ attempting to subdue a conducted on a much higher the exercise command, to which of the 503 obmp) operated at the
‘friendly Black Sea country’ using level, while the riverine element it was directly subordinated. uninhabited Tendra Spit sandbar.

36 // December 2019 #381 www.Key.Aero

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