According to IAF, Maj. L, the Israel Air Force is preparing its chopper pilots to handle extreme operational and cognitive situations.
The IAF’s “Staging Threat” exercise for helicopter units began on January 22. The IAF’s “Red Squadron”—Squadron 115—which represents the enemy and is headquartered out of Uvda Air Force Base in southern Israel—is in charge of the exercise, which will go until January 26.
The simulation puts helicopter operators in risky situations and assesses how they will react in case of mission failure.
Maj. L, who is in charge of “Red Squadron’s” Joint Forces Section, claims that the Middle Eastern fighting region is continuously changing.
He added, “We have to test ourselves continually. We understand that the opponent is learning, upgrading itself, and obtaining skills daily throughout the Middle East.
The commander emphasized that the exercise simulates not only challenging and complex military conditions but is also intended to develop mental toughness.
“Months of planning went into creating this exceptional exercise. According to Maj L, the goal is to expose the aircrews to the principal battle scenarios of the following conflict.
“We aim to instruct them in two key areas. Uncertainty was the first, and I placed them in a “playground” that they were unfamiliar with.
They lift off with a particular conception of intellect but soon encounter something entirely different in the air. Additionally, I want them to experience major failure,” he continued.
In mid-air, crews learn that the opponent has quite different capabilities from what they thought they were up against when they lifted off, he said. He added that the goal is to challenge the crews’ fundamental presumptions.
Crews from combat and transport helicopters both took part in the drill.
Maj. L explained that the crews participate in extensive after-action reviews following the simulations.
“First, with a magnifying lens, we control what happens during the practice. We have a control room at the Kirya [IDF’s Tel Aviv headquarters], where we can hear everything the aircrew says and watch everything they do.
We “monitor how each person decides to respond to each event,” he said. “We document all options and challenges that they face.
We daily receive organized lessons as well. In other words, if we see an error that isn’t directly attributable to a pilot’s fault, we submit them to the appropriate air force departments.
Hence, they are aware of what air crews ought to perform in operations and what they’ve practiced in those circumstances,” he continued.
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