On October 23 Lithuanian Special Operations Forces, Lithuanian Land Force and U.S. Joint Terminal Air Controllers (JTAC) trained coordinating attacks of two U.S. B-52 strategic bombers at the Lithuanian Armed Forces Brigadier General Kazys Veverskis Training Area in Kazlų Rūda.
This was the first time B-52 strategic bombers were delivering fire at targets in a formation.
According to the exercise concept, the JTAC personnel had to identify targets, call in air support and guide them towards the targets through communication channels. The strategic bombers flew over the targets (buildings and vehicle columns) 7 times. 12 inert BDU 50 bombs were dropped from approximately 6-kilometer altitude. The targets were destroyed.
The aircraft took off from RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom and returned there after the flights over the Baltic region.
In autumn 2018 an aviation firing range was installed and certified according to NATO standards in Kazlų Rūda. The infrastructure allows aircraft crews to practice fire at ground-based targets and Joint Terminal Attack Controllers to practice interaction with the aviation.
Information and photo credits: Lithuanian Armed Forces
