Page 39 - AirForces Monthly - Issue 381 (December 2019)

Above: Royal Canadian Air Force CH-148 Cyclone 148822 (c/n 92-5022,
callsign ‘Raptor’) from 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron in flight during the

active at-sea phase of Sea Breeze 2019 in the Black Sea on July 10. It was
carried aboard the frigate HMCS ‘Toronto’ – the SNMG2 flagship. NATO

the boarding party embarked Day (July 7). The main celebration runway, simulating SAR/resupply day but, owing to its ‘free play’
the ship and took over control was in the port of Odessa, with sorties. These were followed by format, the events were restricted
while two Mi-8MTs (‘133 and 144 many of the aircraft and helicopters eight Su-24s and Su-25s taking to the public and thus many of
Red’) of the 11 obrAA provided involved in the exercise flying over off in pairs and as solo aircraft. the air component activities went
CAS. Just ten minutes after the the port in tight formation at low Most were part of a separate PS unrecorded. According to the
VBSS mission, the same two altitude. These included the two exercise, departing on live firing/ exercise scenario, on this day
Mi-8MTs delivered DPSU divers An-26s, the three Mi-14s, the two reconnaissance missions at a the enemy deployed an airborne
some 1.25 miles (2km) off the NGU Mi-8MTs, two Su-25M1s and nearby range. Only Su-25M1 (‘15 landing force at the port of
port of Odessa, where they were the Ka-226. The two An-26s later Blue’) and Su-25M1K (‘32 Blue’) Pivdennyy and an amphibious
picked up by DPSU boats. deployed RPDG paratroopers were unarmed and took part in landing force at the port of
It is also worth noting that in who landed in the water and the demonstration, displaying CAP Ochakiv – situated some 3.5 miles
this period the US Navy’s Naval were picked up by the Ka-226. and CAS missions at low level, (6km) and 30 miles (48km) east
Mobile Construction Battalion On July 9, a media day for the after which they landed. As soon of Chabanka, respectively.
(NMCB) 133 practised rebuilding air component took place at as the pair of An-26s landed and The amphibious element from
a runway after an enemy air Kul’bakino. The An-26s parachuted taxied away, the star of the event the Tendra Spit sandbar played
strike at Kul’bakino, together a group of RPDG rescuers, tasked appeared: P-8A Poseidon 168997 of the role of the enemy forces: part
with their colleagues from the with locating and stabilising a VP-9, arriving from NAS Sigonella. of it made an 18.6-mile (30km)
base maintenance unit of the casualty behind enemy lines. Last but not least, the PS march and was taken up by
10 mabr. The role of a damaged Meanwhile, the two Mi-14PLs presented a Su-24MR (‘60 Yellow’) Mi-8MTs then parachuted near
runway was played by one of the demonstrated an ASW sortie and a Su-25M1K (‘19 Blue’) in Pivdennyy, while the remainder
service roads on the far western and were followed by the Ka-226 the static display. The latter is was loaded aboard the Yuri
end of the 10 mabr apron. which evacuated a casualty the latest Su-25 arriving from Olefirenko (L401, a ‘Polnocny-C’-
The end of the first week without landing. The pair of An-26s overhaul and modernisation. class landing ship of the VMS),
coincided with Ukraine’s Navy made a low-level pass over the The active phase began that same together with a complement
Ukraine’s Fencers make Sea Breeze debut

Sea Breeze 2019 coincided with a major PS from the PS University at Kharkiv. Its goal aircraft not only provided simulated CAS for
combat training exercise, operating from was to train the Su-24 and Su-25 pilots to the landing parties at Sea Breeze 2019 but
Kul’bakino air base, involving Su-25s of the execute reconnaissance and strike sorties also had a chance to make simulated attacks
local 299 brTA as well as a detachment of against land or sea targets while flying against ships at sea, playing targets for their air
Su-24s from 7 brTA at Starokostyantyniv. It as part of a group of aircraft at extremely defence systems in the process. The 15 aircraft
was a perfect opportunity to combine the low altitude, both day and night. Live firing noted taking part in this PS exercise comprised
two events, resulting in the first appearance exercises were conducted at a local training Su-24Ms (‘20, 28 and 44 White’), Su-24MRs
of the PS Fencers at a Sea Breeze exercise. range and over part of the Black Sea. (‘59 and 60 Yellow’), single-seat Su-25M1s (‘15
The PS event was aimed at seasoned By combining these two events, the PS pilots and 45 Blue’) and Su-25M1Ks (‘19, 20, 32, 36
combat-experienced pilots as well as at had a chance to train against real maritime and 46 Blue’), plus two-seat Su-25UBM1s (‘62
young pilots who had recently graduated targets, and vice versa. Consequently, the PS and 64 Blue’) and a Su-25UBM1K (‘63 Blue’).

Two PS aircraft were on static display during the air component media day at Kul’bakino on July 9 –Su-24MR ‘60
Yellow’ (c/n 0741613) of the 7 brTA and Su-25M1K ‘19 Blue’ (c/n 25508110288) of the 299 brTA.

www.Key.Aero #381 December 2019 // 39

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