APROC 2018 – From 23 May to 6 June
Every year the European Personnel Recovery Center (EPRC) organizes the ‘Air Centric Personnel Recovery Operatives Course (APROC). This year in the Netherlands at Gilze Rijen Air Base.
This course is always by one of the countries affiliated to the EPRC. Air Base Gilze-Rijen takes this year hospitality of the course. Participating countries are including the Netherlands, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Poland, Italy, Belgium and Sweden.
The course focuses on rescuing flight crew crews enemy territory who need help, also known as Personnel Recovery (PR). Participants learn about the different roles that are available during rescue operations and practice tactics, techniques and procedures necessary to perform a good rescue operation in very dynamic and multinational scenarios.
From Gilze-Rijen Air Base are in various practice areas in the Netherlands and Belgium stranded aircraft crews who needs to be rescued.. To follow realistic scenarios mimic small ground units act as practice enemy. The more experienced pilots get training in leading a rescue mission. Send an international staff the course from Gilze-Rijen Air Base.
APROC 2018 has about 557 participants. This includes the staff, ground troops and specialists in the field of surviving, escaping, evading, resisting and from an area, but also specialists who monitor the course. On the military training area ‘Vijf Eiken’ will stay around 300 English soldiers in a bivouac. Taking various helicopter and (yacht) aircraft types part of the course. Flight movements
The exercise started on 23 May but on 22 May all participants arrived with her helicopters Also two Italian Eurofighter fighter planes were based at Gilze-Rijen Air Base. The course lasts a total of eight days. Per day three missions are flown. Each mission takes place in a different training area, both in the Netherlands and in Belgium.
All photos Rob Vogelaar
