Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/713424
The most impressive aspect of Anakonda-16 was, most certainly, the helicopter part, despite the fact that it only included Polish and American crews. The core force was formed by helicopters of the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade that came to Poland with sixty rotorcraft. Task Force Griffin, such name was taken by the Polish-American tactical compound, conducted operations from two bases. The main was the 12th Base of Unmanned Aircrafts in Mirosławiec, which co-opted 14 AH-64D (1 Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment), six CH-47F Chinook (1 Battalion, 214 Aviation Regiment), three UH-60M Black Hawk (1-214 GSAB), six Mi-24 (the 56th Military Airbase), two W-3PL (the 56th Military Airbase), and four Mi-2 (the 56th Military Airbase) – additionally, apart from TF Griffin, it served for „chemical" Mi-2Ch, medical Mi-17AE (the Air Unit of Medical Evacuation even constructed a field hospital within the Base), and Procjon ECW helicopter. The 56th Base in Inowrocław was used for TF Griffin helicopters, so 32 UH-60M from 1-214. The whole operation was led by COL Ryan K. Welch (800 American compared to 120 Poles commanded by LTCOL Piotr Kowalski, commander of the 2nd Squadron of the 56th Military Airbase). The teams started training with mutual orienta- tion flights – Mi-24 and W-3PL flew together with AH-64D. Crews of Mi-24 were impressed by performance of the Apaches, the surplus of power allowing immediate setting at a firing position, perform an attack or hide, as well as by the simplicity of procedures for starting it. The tactics were a clear and noticeable difference – the capacities of high hoovering in Mi-24 are very limited, while high hover is for AH64D a basic way of searching for „prey". Nevertheless, crews of Polish helicopters, when it comes to pilot skills or skillful usage of procedures, were as good as their American partners (or, sometimes, even better). www.fragoutmag.com