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EUBG troops show their ability to perform their missions during rescue pilots after helicopter crash

Defence & Security News - Belgium EUBG

Sunday, June 8, 2014 10:45 AM

EUBG troops show their ability to perform their missions during rescue pilots after helicopter crash.

During two weeks, a total of 2,875 soldiers from 6 nations are deployed in the South of Belgium to conduct the latest preparation of the EUBG (European Union Battle Group) during the military field training exercise Quick Lion 2014. Saturday, June 8, 2014, Belgian and foreign troops are showed their ability to perform their missions during a training exercise with the goal to rescue pilots after crash of helicopter in a hostile zone.

Video EUBG European Union Battle Group military field training exercise Quick Lion 2014

The first step was to secure the zone with the Quick Reaction Force of EUBG equipped with Dingo 2 armoured vehicle. The second step wa to provide quickly the first first aid to the two wounded pilots.

All soldiers of EUBG showed great professionalism in carrying out their mission with a rapid and effective response for the infantry unit supported by IOD team and medical support, which was able to quickly evacuate the wounded pilots by MEDEVAC helicopter.

According to the military experience of our editorial team, we can say that EUBG is ready to fulfill its missions.

A EUBG is the minimum military effective, credible and coherent, rapidly deployable force package, capable of executing stand-alone operations or the initial phase of a larger operation. The BG can be deployed outside the EU (within a range of 6.000 km around Brussels), principally in response to UN requests.

Currently the EUBG is under the command of the Belgian army. The Force Commander of the EUBG 2014-2 is Colonel Philippe Boucké, current Commander of the Belgian Medium Brigade.

During two weeks, a total 2,875 soldiers from 6 nations are deployed in the South of Belgium to conduct the latest preparation of the EUBG (European Union Battle Group) during the military field training exercise Quick Lion 2014. Saturday, June 8, 2014, Belgian and foreign troops are showed their ability to perform their mission during a training exercise with the goal to rescue pilots after crash of helicopter in a hostile zone.

The Quick Reaction Force of EUBG with infantry and Dingo 2 armoured vehicles secures the zone of the crash.

The main force of this EUBG is the Infantry Task Force (ITF). Besides a staff, this ITF comprises an infantry Coy and a scout platoon on Dingo 2 (a Multi-Purpose Protected Vehicle) from the Medium Battalion Carabiniers Prins Boudewijn-Grenadiers (1C/1Gr) from Leopoldsburg (Belgium), a Coy on Piranha IIIC Direct Fire 90 from the Medium Battalion Bevrijding - 5e Linie from Leopoldsburg, an infantry Coy on CV90 from the 44 Pantserinfanteriebataljon from Havelte (The Netherlands) and an airmobile infantry Coy from the 12 Infanteriebataljon on Bushmaster from Schaarsbergen (The Netherlands).

The missions of the EUBG are set out in Article 43 of the Treaty on EU and the European Security Strategy. A EUBG can execute tasks in the whole spectrum of crisis management operations: humanitarian and rescue tasks, conflict prevention and peace-keeping tasks, tasks of combat forces in crisis management, including peacemaking. Each decision for the activation of a BG has to be taken after a thorough analysis of the situation and requires the unanimous approval of the EU-members states.

Belgian combat medical team provides first aid to the two wounded pilots.

One of the injured pilot was quickly evacuated by MEDEVAC helicopter.