The third iteration of the prestigious Helicopter Tactics Instructor Course (HTIC) has just started at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, United Kingdom. The course aims to provide selected helicopter instructors with the tactical skills and knowledge to then deliver tactical training within their own organisations and throughout the Helicopter Exercise Programme events, such as Italian Blade exercise and Cold Blade exercise.

The 2015 HTIC is for the first time delivered under an EDA Category B programme, with its own approved programme arrangement signed in March 2015 by Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Additional EDA participating Member States have already shown interest in joining the programme in the near future.

The 2015 course is delivered by the EDA Chief Instructor, and a cadre of instructors from Sweden and the UK. 18 trainee instructors from Austria (OH-58), Sweden (UH-60 and NH-90) and the UK (CH-47) will be challenged to deliver high-end performances across the three main strands of the course, which will culminate in the planning and delivery of the complex Composite Air Operations (COMAO). 

The successful graduates will obtain Bronze or Silver HTI qualifications, corresponding to their experience and skill level. These qualifications are recognised by all the Member States involved in the helicopter programme. The instructors are expected to deliver courses themselves in the future, thus increasing their experience and competence. 33 more instructors from Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Sweden and the UK have already graduated from the previous two courses held in 2013 and 2014.

The ground and simulator phase of HTIC runs until 18 September and starts with the theory, giving a comprehensive introduction to Electronic Warfare and its application for rotary platforms in a hostile environment. Next, it moves on to look at Evasion Training against a range of ground and air threats and the tactics applicable to rotary tasking in non-permissive environments. The theory is then put into practice in the EDA tactics trainers and, finally, the live flying phase, which will be delivered from 28 September to 17 October 2015 at Vidsel range, Sweden. 

More information

• Helicopter Initiatives project page
• News "Final results of Italian Blade 2015" (07 July 2015)
• News "Second Helicopter Tactics Instructor Course Moves on to Sweden" (14 May 2014)

31 July 2014 - European Defence Agency

Hot Blade 2014, the seventh helicopter exercise organised by the European Defence Agency, was formally closed on 30 July in Ovar airbase, Portugal. All training aims were met and the event was praised by senior national representatives.

At exercise close, a total of 827 hours had been flown on 362 aircraft sorties. Twenty-five helicopters from six different nations took part in Hot Blade 2014 from 16-30 July. “All training aims were met with the assistance of a small team of highly qualified tactics instructors coming from the sister HTIC programme”, Andy Gray, EDA Helicopters Programme Manager, points out.

The largest helicopter exercise organised this year in Europe, Hot Blade 2014 has allowed participating crews to qualify as COMAO (Combined Air Operations) lead and conduct joint and combined air assault missions (with Portuguese, German and Dutch ground troops operating together in mixed units), while at the same time providing individual training with nations qualifying their pilots in dust landings, night vision operations and fighter evasion.

Positive feedback.

Expressed in a “hot wash-up” meeting, the immediate feedback from the exercise was extremely positive. Senior national representatives confirmed that the experience of working together with other nations and practicing large-scale joint and combined missions just could not have been achieved by working alone. They agreed that these exercises are truly enhancing the helicopter capability within Europe.

“Over the last three years, the professionalism, enthusiasm and friendliness of our hosts has allowed the exercise to develop and grow”, adds Andy Gray, reflecting on Portugal’s major contribution to the success of EDA's Helicopter Exercise Programme. Next year’s event, called “Italian Blade”, will take place in June 2015 in Viterbo airbase, about 80 kilometres north of Rome.

Background

The European Defence Agency’s efforts in the field of helicopter capabilities also include the Helicopters Tactics Course (HTC), the Helicopter Tactics Instructor Course (HTIC), the OELC (Operational English Language Course) and the Basic Helicopter Flying Training (BHFT) initiative.

The first EDA-supported multinational helicopter exercise took place in Gap (France) in March 2009. It has since been followed by six subsequent exercises of various scope and size, held in Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Spain. The Helicopter Exercise Programme arrangement has been signed by twelve Member States in November 2012 for a period of ten years. Future editions are expected to take place in Italy and Finland.

More Information

• Hot Blade 2014 mini-site
• Hot Blade 2014 factsheet
• Pictures of the exercise on our dedicated Flickr gallery