In maneuvers, at least, a winner

Opposing waves of mammoth tanks maneuvered for position on Bavaria's rain-drenched farm lands. Mechanized units of infantrymen clattered through gingerbread villages, clashing for control of strategic bridges and road junctions. Overhead, missile-bearing Cobra helicopters and F-4 Phantom jets thundered across the skies, "firing" at one another and at targets on the ground.

For ten grueling days that ended last week, a mock combat raged in southern Germany between two opposing powerful military forces: the "invading" Orange and the defending Blue. Code-named Carbon Edge, the "war" was a NATO military exercise involving more than 50,000 troops, 4,000 tanks and armored personnel carriers, 7,500 other vehicles, 90 fixed-wing aircraft and 500 helicopters. Carbon Edge was by far the biggest single event of Reforger 77, this year's edition of NATO's traditional fall training extravaganza. West German, British, Canadian, Dutch and Belgian troops and American forces based in Europe were mobilized for the event, and 14,000 G.I.s were airlifted across the Atlantic. (Reforger, in fact, is an acronym for return of forces to Germany.) To the north, a special all-NATO defense team battled British and Danish "enemy" troops, while in the Mediterranean the alliance conducted a massive naval exercise, culminating in an amphibious landing along the Turkish coast.

In Carbon Edge, the Orange force (played by some U.S. and West German units) took the role of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. Reflecting its impressive firepower advantage on the Central European front, Orange quickly penetrated the Blue lines, raced 40 miles and crossed the upper Danube. After falling back and regrouping, Blue counterattacked; its main forces hammered away across the invader's broad front, while airborne rangers hit Orange from behind. When the exercises ended, Blue had clearly triumphed.

One purpose of the massive maneuvers was to give the Americans practice in moving reinforcements to Europe from U.S. bases. Two weeks before the Orange "attack," the U.S. 1st Infantry Division was airlifted from Fort Riley, Kans., the 3rd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division arrived from Fort Carson, Colo., and the 2nd Battalion (Ranger) of the 75th Infantry came from Fort Lewis, Wash. The exercises were the first large-scale test of "interoperability"—coordination of the somewhat different communications systems, tactics and equipment used by the alliance's armed forces. Thus U.S. Cobra helicopters, armed with TOW antitank missiles, provided cover for West German tank units and were directed to targets by West German officers. Old tricks were also polished, like dropping a Sheridan light tank from a low-flying C-130 transport plane.

No shots were actually fired. Instead, 1,900 umpires—sporting white armbands and riding in Jeeps flying white pennants—clambered about the battlefield. Over field radios, commanders were told "You're dead," while "killed" vehicles were marked with yellow flags. There were, however, real casualties; in ground accidents and one mid-air collision, two American servicemen and six German civilians were killed.

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FRANCE’S AIR WAR

Mirage 2000D, Nancy 2001. Copyright Hugo Mambour/AviaScribe 2001

ODAX 2001, the fifth edition of the French Air Force international aerial warfare exercise took place throughout the country in March and April. Hugo Mambour/AviaScribe describes what it's all about

During the Cold War and for a few more years yet after the general collapse of Communism in Central and Eastern Europe, France used to conduct an annual air defence exercise called AIREX and later DATEX. Its main objective was to test the ability of the French air defence assets to detect and intercept enemy air attacks against the national territory. On some occasions and particularly during the last exercises, allied countries had aircraft based in France to participate in the air defence exercise, and although NATO air forces were invited to attack various targets in France during the two-day exercise period, DATEX remained essentially a national exercise. However, after 1989 the probabilities of an air raid originating from the former Warsaw Pact air forces soon evaporated and the usefulness of a very specialised exercise like DATEX became questionable. In order to meet the new challenges of the post Cold War world, a new more complex international annual exercise, organised accordingly to reflect the type of multi-national military operations of the nineties (Gulf War, Yugoslavia etc.), was created in 1996 to supersede DATEX: ODAX was born

Since then, ODAX has taken place each year, except for a notable exception in 1999 when the exercise was cancelled on operational and economical grounds as a consequence of the Operation Trident (the FAF contribution to Operation Allied Force in former Yugoslavia). Each exercise has been the opportunity to try a new scenario – for example, the first in 1996 was linked with ‘Brilliant Foil’, whereas the 1998 version took place in the south of France and the Mediterranean area – and has seen new and unusual participants like the United Arab Emirates.

As for 2000, this year's vintage was divided into two different phases. The first, which took place between 26 February and 9 March, was a Computer Assisted (CAX) Command Post Exercise (CPX). This phase was aimed at training commanders and the personnel in charge of planning and conduct of air operations by simulating an air campaign. Contrary to past habits, the second phase or Live Exercise (LIVEX), which saw actual operations of aircraft within the limits of French airspace, was clearly separated from the first one as it took place more than one month later, between 19-27 April.

Traditionally, ODAX is based on a fictitious scenario inspired by real events - this year, the French territory was divided into three areas, each one representing a different nation (Blue, Yellow and Orange), which were once united into a common federation. After the Blue land decided to quit the federation to integrate into an international democratic North-European structure, Yellow land declared its intention to follow the same destiny. However, an ethnical minority living in Yellow land, but closely linked to Orange land, did not agree with that secession and asked for a referendum about the decision to break its relationship with the federation. As Yellow land rejected that idea, significant troubles and violent acts were perpetrated against Yellow populations in areas mainly controlled by the Orange community, which was secretly manipulated by Orange land. As a consequence of the deteriorating situation, the United Nations mandated a coalition with France as the leading nation, in order to set up an interposition and peacekeeping force to avoid a general conflict in the area. This did not impress Orange land much, so it decided to attack Yellow land to isolate it from Blue land. A massive air campaign was then launched by the coalition forces against economical and military targets of Orange land, the two latter aspects constituting the LIVEX part of the exercise. The Armée de l’air public relation and information service had a special section devoted to the exercise on its internet site. Detailed information about the federation history and its political leaders were available and it was even possible to check the evolution of the fictitious scenario day by day. Information about real activities were added during the LIVEX period.

The main goal of the exercise was to verify the ability of the coalition forces to operate theatre air assets from deployed multi-national command structures in a crisis or a conflict of high intensity within an implementation period of 24 hours, as well as to conduct up to 600 missions per day. In reaching that target, France demonstrated at the same time its own ability (without the Americans) to organise and operate communication and information systems related to combined elements for a thorough air campaign and functioning with real-time information in an international environment.

The exercise director was Air Marshal Fouquet, who is the commander of the FAF Air Operations and Air Defence Command (CDAOA) based underground at Taverny, north-west of Paris. For the exercise purpose, he was also in charge of the Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) set up to implement the UN mandate. Commanded by Air Commodore Michel, the air component of the CJTF, known as Joint Force Air Component (JFAC), was responsible for the overall support, offensive and defensive air assets. JFAC was assisted in its mission by three main structures comprising a headquarter responsible for the planning of air operations, an air intelligence centre and a Deployable Combined Air Operations Centre (DCAOC) in charge of command and control of coalition air operations. The latter was deployed at Creil air base, on Blue land territory.

No less than twenty allied and neutral countries (1) took part in the CPX/CAX phase of ODAX whereas nine of those participants (Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Poland, Singapore, Spain and The Netherlands) took also part in the LIVEX phase. Thirteen other countries (2) sent observers to France for the occasion.

France was divided in two parts, with the northern half playing as Blue land and the southern half as Orange land. The smaller Yellow land was right in the middle, north of Orange land against Blue land border. While some coalition aircraft were operating from their home base (for example BAF F-16s and GAF Tornados (four aircraft each)), the main forces were deployed on Blue land territory. One German Navy Atlantic ELINT/SIGINT aircraft was based at Metz from where it operated along the FAF electronic C.160G Gabriel. More German assets were deployed in the north-east with four to six Tornados of AG-51, equipped with their new reconnaissance pods and operating along with the Mirage F1CRs of ER1/33 and 2/33 at Reims, as well as two Tornado ECRs of JBG-32 based at Nancy and operating together with local Mirage 2000Ds capable of SEAD missions with their Martel ARM. SEAD aircraft had the opportunity to test their abilities against live radar threats above Yellow land in the centre of France and above the Alps. Moreover, airfield anti-aircraft defence units were deployed at each airbase throughout France. Luxeuil airbase and its Mirage 2000Ns also took part in the exercise as in fact did all the FAF operational bases.

While four RNLAF F-16s of 323 Squadron were deployed at Cambrai, more unusual participants were based at Dijon (two updated Polish AF MiG-29s) and Saint-Dizier (three updated PAF Su-22M4s of 40.elt). The Republic of Singapore AF deployed six A-4SU and TA-4SU Super Skyhawks at Colmar for their second ODAX participation. A detachment of thirteen operational pilots, commanded by Major Keith Rodrigues, had come straight from Singapore to France for the occasion. They spent one week in Cazaux to learn French procedures as well as to accustom themselves with a new flying environment, quite different to their own country, and two weeks in Colmar for fighter affiliation before the exercise. As last year, they operated the Super Skyhawk of the Advanced Jet Training unit based at Cazaux. As the A-4s detached in France are training aircraft, they are not comprehensively equipped for operational missions. The six aircraft taking part in ODAX were therefore equipped with internal ECM kits for the exercise period only, the equipment being removed and taken back to Singapore at the end of the period.

Besides AWACS and tankers, attack packages were usually composed of sixteen to twenty coalition aircraft, including reconnaissance, attack, air defence and SEAD assets. Finally, two PAF An-26s, German and French C160s, CSAR Pumas and ALAT Gazelles and Pumas were deployed at Avord, the home base of the FAF AWACS fleet. Ground operations, supported by French army helicopters, were indeed planned for the exercise and the transport aircraft were used to drop paratroopers and to evacuate populations. More assets were deployed on Yellow land territory itself, comprising Hunter reconnaissance drones and Horizon battlefield surveillance helicopters.

Orange land air force was composed of air defence Mirage 2000C based at Orange (of course!) with EC1/5 and 2/5, and ground-attack Mirage 2000Ns of EC3/4 based at Istres. More Mirage 2000Cs of EC1/5 had been deployed at Cazaux together with four Italian Air Force F-104S-ASA/Ms. The busiest airbase of Orange land was undoubtedly Mont-de-Marsan, where more Mirage 2000Cs of EC2/5 had been detached together with Mirage F1Cs of EC3/33. One local Mirage IVP was responsible for reconnaissance missions. Four Spanish AF Mirage F1CEs and four Greek AF Mirage 2000CGs were deployed there together with five Morocco AF Mirage F1CHs. This was the fourth time Morocco had participated in ODAX (they also took part in one of the last DATEX exercises).

The exercise went off smoothly without incidents despite difficult weather conditions, allowing all-weather missions. Although most of French AF was implicated in ODAX, normal missions went on during the exercise. Security remained of paramount importance: on 26 April, two Mirage 2000-5Fs from Dijon interrupted their mission to assist a civilian light aircraft in difficulty. For once priority was given to military aircraft during the LIVEX period - press releases warned potential travellers that regular flight schedules could be delayed because of a 'military air exercise'!

(1) Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Morocco, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, The Netherlands, UAE, United Kingdom, USA.

(2) Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, India, Japan, Jordan, Oman, Slovakia, Taiwan, Ukraine.

FROM: http://www.airsceneuk.org.uk/hangar/2001/odax/odax.htm

 

William Schneider

Ukraine's 'Orange Revolution'

The Ukrainian election story has everything—a little bit of the Cold War, echoes of Tiananmen Square, parallels with Poland's Solidarity movement, and perhaps a hint of last month's U.S. presidential election.

The country is severely divided as it stands," Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., said after he returned from monitoring the November 21 runoff in Ukraine. "Some leaders in the eastern part of the country are talking about dividing the country. Clearly, the election divided it absolutely down the center, between the red and the blue states, to use the analogy from the United States."

The division in Ukraine goes back 350 years. In 1654, when Ukrainians were fighting Polish rule, a Cossack leader named Bohdan Khmelnitsky swore allegiance to the Russian czar. Since then, Ukrainians have been dominated by Russia.

Ukraine's east is mostly Russian-speaking, Orthodox in religion, and strongly pro-Russian. Most people in Ukraine's west speak Ukrainian and adhere to a church that acknowledges the authority of the Roman Catholic pope. Western Ukrainians are intensely nationalistic and distrustful of Russia.

In the November runoff, the east voted for Viktor Yanukovich, a favorite of Moscow. Western Ukraine voted for Viktor Yushchenko, who favors stronger ties with Europe and the rest of the West. Yanukovich, the current president's hand-picked successor, was officially declared the election's winner.

But election observers spotted massive fraud. According to Nelson Ledsky of the National Democratic Institute, observers "reported that the rigged voting was in the neighborhood of over 1 million extra votes." Yushchenko's supporters massed in the streets of Kiev, demanding that the results be annulled. It became orange versus blue, with orange being the color of the media-savvy Yushchenko protesters, blue the color of the pro-Yanukovich government supporters. Apparently, in the post-Soviet era, nobody wants to be red.

Ukraine's "orange revolution" is a genuine outpouring of popular sentiment for freedom and justice. It's a media-savvy revolution, almost like a democracy festival, aimed at winning the sympathy of Europeans and Americans.

Both the European Union and the United States denounced the runoff as fraudulent. Secretary of State Colin Powell was the most direct, saying, "We cannot accept this result as legitimate, because it does not meet international standards and because there has not been an investigation of the numerous and credible reports of fraud and abuse." Powell threatened: "If the Ukrainian government does not act immediately and responsibly, there will be consequences for our relationship."

President Vladimir Putin supported Yanukovich and warned the West to back off. Polish leader Lech Walesa showed up to support the protesters. Poles versus Russians—as it was in 1654.

The runoff brought Ukraine's division to a head. So how will it get resolved? Forget recounts. How about repeating the whole election? That's what Ukraine's Supreme Court has ordered, after it ruled that the runoff was invalid. On hearing the news, Yushchenko raised his arms in triumph before the orange-bedecked protesters in Kiev and said, "Today, Ukraine has turned to justice, democracy, and freedom."

The crowds on the streets of Kiev responded by defiantly singing Ukraine's national anthem. Whom were they defying? One sign, in English, read, "Putin: Hands off Ukraine!" In Ukraine, nationalism means resentment of Russia.

On December 1, Putin contemptuously declared, "A repeat of the second round would yield nothing." He asked, "Are you going to conduct it three, four, maybe 25 times?" Within days, the Supreme Court issued its order. It was a humiliating putdown for the fallen superpower.

Many Russians and pro-Russian Ukrainians think that the protests in Kiev were orchestrated by the West and financed by American money. Putin has accused the United States of pursuing a "dictatorial" foreign policy, packaged, he said, in "beautiful, pseudo-democratic phraseology."

President Bush did not return the insult, despite pleas from Ukrainian protesters to take their side. "If he wore an orange tie, people here would be crying," one protester told The New York Times. But Bush's comments have been noticeably more guarded than the secretary of State's. Bush is eager to preserve a good relationship with Putin, a key ally in the war on terror. Bush said on December 2, "We will continue to monitor and be involved in a process that encourages there to be a peaceful resolution to this issue."

With the Supreme Court's decision, the outcome seems inevitable. "Yushchenko is going to be president of Ukraine," former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke said. "One way or another, it's going to happen."

This election represents a big leap for Ukrainians. After centuries of Russian domination, they are deciding on whether their nation's future lies with the West or the East.

A victory for Yushchenko would confirm the West's increasing influence in Ukraine at the expense of Russia—something Western leaders may not want to celebrate for fear of reviving Cold War tensions and of feeding Russia's ancient paranoia about being encircled and threatened by the West.