Page 40 - AirForces Monthly - Issue 381 (December 2019)

Exercise
Report Sea Breeze 2019

of armoured and unarmoured
vehicles. The ship sailed to
Ochakiv, where the personnel
disembarked and captured the
port. Ochakiv was then stormed
and recaptured by the MNBN
while Pivdennyy was encircled
by MNBN troops and stormed
by a joint SOF group from the Above: US Navy P-8A 168997 (c/n 44942, l/n 5587) of VP-9 demonstrates its retractable MX-20HD electro-optical
ZSU and NGU. The ZSU element infrared sensor below the nose, plus its weapons bay, during the third pass over the main runway at Kul’bakino as
part of its appearance at the media day. Below: An-26 ‘10 Yellow’ (c/n 8402) of the 10 mabr demonstrating a low-level
of the SOF group was inserted SAR/resupply sortie during the air component media day at Kul’bakino on July 9.
by a Mi-8MT using a FRIES,
ultimately taking out the enemy.
A small number of additional
unrelated events took place on
July 9, involving the air component.
The shore-based Mi-14PLs and
the P-8A were tasked to locate an
enemy submarine, while an An-26
took part in a SAR mission: after
locating the stricken ship which
sent an SOS message, it deployed
a rescue boat and parachuted
a pair of RPDG members who
assisted the ship’s crew to the July 10 was no less interesting. of NGU Mi-8MTs using the FRIES the enemy’s positions, then a
rescue boat and administered According to the exercise scenario, and, assisted by several local mechanised US-Ukrainian platoon
first aid. Simultaneously, the the enemy captured the remote paramilitary organisations, they in armoured fighting vehicles
Mi-14PS arrived to evacuate Zmiyinyy Island in the Black Sea, neutralised the enemy sabotage followed to finish off and capture
all badly injured members of 87 miles (140km) southwest of teams operating in the area. the positions. To counter a
the ship’s crew and delivered Odessa. A pair of Su-24M bombers July 11 saw the end of the at-sea possible manoeuvre by remaining
them to the nearest hospital. arriving from Kul’bakino simulated phase marked with a traditional enemy forces and any reserves
Furthermore, a suspicious ship an air strike, followed by a pair of closing PHOTOEX. Taking part they may still have possessed,
carrying explosives and saboteurs Mi-8MTs deploying a DPSU SOF in it were three shore-based an airmobile element of the
– played by Balta (A811), a ‘Bereza’- team via FRIES: all remaining aircraft – the Mi-14PS and An-26 MNBN, comprising Moldovan
class degaussing ship of the enemy forces were mopped up and (‘10 Yellow’) from 10 mabr and US and Ukrainian servicemen, was
VMS – was sailing towards one the island retaken. After leaving Navy P-8A 168852 from VP-9 – inserted into battle by three
of the friendly ports. The naval Zmiyinyy Island, the pair of Fencers plus two ship-based helicopters: a Mi-8MTs (‘133, 140 and 144
task force consisting of Het’man was engaged in joint training with Romanian IAR-330 and a Canadian Red’) using FRIES. The finale of
Sahaydachnyy and USS Carney the sea component. Another VBSS CH-148. During the event, the the event was the insertion of
located it and informed the MOC. mission was performed on the exercise fleet comprising 15 ships Ukrainian marine paratroopers
Soon, a pair of Mi-8MTs (‘130 and Balta, this time by a DPSU SOF from several countries sailed in into the enemy’s rear area by the
144 Red’) delivered Bulgarian and team, deployed directly on it from a straight line for almost an hour VMS An-26 pair – ensuring all
Ukrainian SOF troops aboard the Mi-8MT ‘144 Red’ using FRIES in a formation of four columns. the remaining enemy forces were
Het’man Sahaydachnyy employing while the ship was under way. Almost simultaneously, the final fully encircled and defeated.
their FRIES. Using a pair of the Meanwhile, at the other end of major event of the Sea Breeze Sea Breeze 2019 ended with the
ship’s RHIBs and supported by Odessa district at Zherebkove, 103 2019 exercise – the media day of official closing ceremonies on
the two Mi-8MTs, the SOF troops miles (166km) northwest of Odessa, the ground component, or more July 12. Throughout its duration,
performed a VBSS mission on the another part of the scenario was precisely its MNBN – took place the FRIES was used more than
Balta while it was under way. They unfolding. The ZSU and NGU at Chabanka. It began with the 2,000 times, 300 parachute
successfully seized the ship and anti-diversionary teams were combined US-Ukrainian artillery jumps were made and more than
the task force took it under escort. deployed in the field by the pair element of the MNBN striking 300 flight hours were logged.

Above: Su-25M1K ‘19 Blue’ (c/n 25508110288) of the 299 brTA was one of two PS aircraft on static display during the air component media day at Kul’bakino on
July 9. This is the latest Su-25 to arrive from overhaul and modernisation at the ‘MiGremont’ facilities in Zaporizhzhya.

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

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