Exercise 'Silver Arrow' sees BiH Armed Forces adopt new capabilities and capacities

TUZLA, (Patria) - With an open day for high-ranking officials and students from primary and secondary schools in the Tuzla region on Thursday, September 12, 2019, at the Dubrave military airport near Tuzla, the four-day exercise "Silver Arrow" concluded. The exercise was conducted by the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AF BiH) in cooperation with the Maryland National Guard and the U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE).

The event featured presentations of the capabilities and operational capacities of the AF BiH. Attendees included the Deputy Minister of Defense of BiH for Policy and Plans Sead Jusić, Chief of the Joint Staff of the AF BiH Lieutenant General Senad Mašović, Parliamentary Military Commissioner Boško Šiljegović, U.S. Ambassador to BiH Eric Nelson, as well as numerous high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of BiH, military-diplomatic representatives of foreign countries, and officials from local institutions.

During the exercise, which lasted from September 9 to 12, 2019, the AF BiH trained Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) specialists for the first time. They are trained to direct aircraft and helicopters for combat and tactical operations on the ground. The AF BiH did not previously possess this capability, which is used in developed armies around the world. Helicopters of the Air Force and Air Defense Brigade of the AF BiH also participated in the training, with their pilots coordinating with JTAC controllers on the ground for the first time.

"This exercise with the U.S. armed forces has shown that our armies can successfully cooperate in various forms of military operations. I would like to thank the U.S. government for enabling us to enhance the operational capabilities of the AF BiH in this way, taking another step towards better interoperability with NATO alliance partner armies," stated Deputy Minister of Defense of BiH Jusić.

Furthermore, members of the 5th, 6th, and 8th Logistics Support Battalions of the AF BiH Logistics Command practiced loading and unloading procedures from the U.S. military aircraft C-130 Hercules, which arrived on Monday from Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

"The exercise provided an opportunity for all participants to engage in realistic and demanding training to build experience, cooperation, and teamwork. This will significantly increase our capabilities, not only for supporting civilian authorities but also for participating in future peacekeeping operations around the world. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our friends from the Maryland National Guard and the U.S. Air Forces in Europe for the support and assistance they provide us," said Lieutenant General Mašović.

On this occasion, Deputy Commander of the Operational Command for Operations, Brigadier General Kenan Dautović, expressed gratitude to the staff of Tuzla International Airport for the successful cooperation that has lasted for many years.