The rescue crews of the Ukrainian Air Force have successfully completed an intensive training course in Norway. This was reported by the press service of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Telegram.
«Our rescuers underwent one of the most challenging international courses at the Royal Norwegian Air Force base,» the statement said.
For several months, the Ukrainian rescuers worked alongside instructors from the USA, Denmark, and Sweden, practicing small group tactics, complex evacuation scenarios in hard-to-reach areas, enhancing their medical skills, and mastering NATO procedures.
The General Staff emphasized that the Ukrainian military also shared their unique experience of modern warfare. They showcased videos of evacuating aircrew from the front lines to their foreign colleagues, discussed the use of reconnaissance drones for locating pilots, and shared tactics for operating under constant enemy surveillance.
«In Norway, we were the only ones with active combat experience. Similar operations were conducted by our partners in Afghanistan and Iraq, but the nature of modern warfare requires rescuers to be medics, technicians, drone operators, and full-fledged fighters all at once,» noted Vitaliy, head of the Search and Rescue Flight Support Management Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Special attention during the training was given to working with Western aircraft, particularly the F-16.
«Each system has its peculiarities, and rescuers must understand how to safely approach the aircraft, disable it, open the cockpit, and evacuate the crew in case of an emergency,» explained the head of the Search and Rescue Flight Support Management Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The General Staff also reported that the number of rescue teams has significantly increased, led by military personnel with unique combat experience, including defenders of «Azovstal».