Eminently dangerous and fast US F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft were flying Lithuanian skies and destroying ground targets during Exercise Saber Strike that concluded las week. It was the first training of such kind conducted in Lithuania.
US and Lithuanian soldiers were training air control procedures, live firing, and dropped MK-82 unguided bombs weighing 500 pounds on stationary targets for the first time at Brigadier General Kazys Veverskis Training Area.
"Only inert bombs, without the combat charge, have been dropped until certifying the firing range early this year finally allowing us to take part in exercises an coordinate air assaults with live bombs, all of which is a new and very valuable experience to us," Captain Dalius Dulkė, Gen Romualdas Giedraitis Artillery Battalion, said about the exceptionality of the exercise. The operation was coordinated by a large ground-based air control party of 6 Artillery Battalion troops, Special Operations Forces Troops, and a US air attack control specialist. The size of the party is unusual for such operations, it was the Lithuanian Armed Forces taking the rare opportunity to train high-level specialists capable to plan, calla and control air support - therefore the number of training air controllers was as big as possible.
The close air support exercise was conducted not only in the US Air Force fighter jets but also in L-39 aircraft of the Lithuanian Air Force. "We are used to working with air assault aircraft used in our military - participation of the F-16s takes it to the other level. These fighter aircraft are very fast, respond very quickly and carry particularly powerful weaponry. It was very interesting and complicated to coordinate the response of integrated flights of two types of aircraft," Captain A. Bivainis said. "F-16 pilots are also qualify to carry out forward air attack control which means we can share and distribute responsibilities with pilots and ground air controllers. We have tried out different versions of coordination and we are very happy about the achieved results," member of the air control party said.
Close air support was rendered by four aircraft (two F-16 and two L-39). Targets were destroyed, coordination, target indications, and other air attack procedures were trained in turns. Four MK-82 bombs were dropped on ground-based targets. Aircraft took off from Amari Air Base in Estonia and the Lithuanian Air Force Bae in Šiauliai.
Photo credits: Private Recruit Erika Čebatorienė and Capt Donatas Suchockis
