Slovak and Polish Chiefs of Defence inspect Exercise Combined Effort

Exercise Combined Effort 2021, an international Surface Based Air Defence (SBAD) exercise involving Slovak and Polish air defenders, is culminating at the Training Centre Lešť. Yesterday and today, Slovak CHOD Gen Daniel Zmeko and Polish CHOD Gen Rajmund Andrzejczak inspected the exercise and checked the results. Following an inspection of the Operations Centre in Poland's Warsaw, both generals along with their delegations flew over to the Training Centre Lešť.

Speaking at the Training Centre Lešť, Chief of Defence Gen Daniel Zmeko said: “Exercise Combined Effort achieved all the set goals and tested the exercising troops as well as the deployed SBAD and other support systems. Given its complexity and intensity, we validated the interoperability of the international task force in near real conditions. The exercise has shown us the direction we need to take in modernising and integrating the SBAD and surveillance systems and in employing Army and Special Operations Forces elements in support of SBAD operations. Gen Andrzejczak and I agreed that, as Ex Combined Effort 2021 culminates, it sets a new tradition and we will keep it going into the future.”

As well as forming an interoperable bilateral SBAD task force with several firing elements, the exercise aims to create a real-time Air and Ground Situation Picture. Advanced tactical aircraft, combined with aerial and land systems of the SVK and POL Armed Forces, are deployed to create the most realistic Air Situation Picture (ASP). Similarly, the Ground Situation Picture (GSP) is complemented by Army components, special operations forces, reconnaissance troops and electronic warfare (EW) units.

The exercise is culminating with the SBAD Task Force and the SVK and POL SBAD systems being exposed to simulated attacks by different aircraft and threats typical of modern warfare. Thanks to its complex scenario, this unique exercise has thoroughly tested not only the response against Air Breathing Targets (ABTs), but also the SBAD Task Force's complex readiness to carry out tasks in a simulated combat situation.