6 April 2011

More than 250 Air Force officials will successfully complete tomorrow the  Valkyria 11 Annual Exercise that is taking place in Mendoza. On this occasion the exercise is supported by radar. A tribute was paid to Malvinas’ War dead.

With the support of the MET III radar, built by INVAP, more than 250 Argentine Air Force officials are participating of the “Valkyria 11” Exercise, which will end tomorrow. The activity is being held at the IV Brigada Aerea site, in Mendoza, as part of the institution’s annual schedule of excercises.

Its goal is the planning and execution of specific tasks of search and rescue in combat, simulating real scenarios, in which the pilot is ejected from a plane, descends by parachute on enemy territory and has to be rescued.

During the first part of the exercise, procedures and previous knowledge were standardized through theorical instruction.

Simultaneously, air systems involved (aircrafts and helicopters) were performing reconnaissance flights over the areas were operations took place.

During the second part of the exercise, real search and rescue missions were carried out, with a “surprising degree of realism”, as an official statement pointed out.

The exercise was witnessed by students of the Aeronautical Technical School Nr. 4-106 and by local journalists, who had the opportunity to see the operation from the air on board of a Hércules C130 aircraft.

Besides, last Saturday a tribute was paid to Malvinas War dead, particularly to the 8 pilots from the IV Brigada Area that gave their lives for their country.

Though this was and Air Force operation, officials from the Army also participated from the exercise, installing observation points in the launching and recovery areas.

Source: Secretaría de Medios de Comunicación – Presidencia de la Nación