Poland | Operation Gutsy Osprey

[ManBear]

Operation Gutsy Osprey
Operacja Odważny Rybołów​

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Operational Directive
January 2003
Encrypted and Secured by POSP​

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Background

This Operation is designed to simulate and enhance Poland's air defense capabilities in response to contemporary security challenges. Set against the backdrop of ever evolving threats and geopolitical complexities. The operation brings together Poland's aerial assets from across the branches in a comprehensive and dynamic training environment.

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Operational Objectives

1. Air Sovereignty: Validate and Reinforce Poland's ability to protect its airspace against a spectrum of potential threats, ranging from simulate aerial intrusions to electronic warfare scenarios

2. Interoperability: Strengthen the interoperability between the different branches of the Polish Armed Forces. This operation provides an opportunity for the branches to refine joint operations and enhance communication and coordination

3. Technological Integration: Showcases the integration of cutting-edge technology being adopted into the Polish Armed Forces and into Polish Air defenses. From Fighter Jets to radar and surveillance equipment.

4. Adaptive Training: Create a Dynamic Training Environment that adapts to real time inputs and challenges. This ensures participating aircrews and ground forces are properly prepared to handle unpredictable and evolving battlefields of the modern era.

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Participants

Unit	Branch	Equipment
1st Congo-Polish Squadron	Royal Air Force	30x MiG-29M; 15x SU-25k
31st Aviation Squadron	Royal Air Force	30x MiG-29; 25x SU-25SM
32nd Aviation Squadron	Royal Air Force	30x MiG-29; 25x SU-25SM
41st Aviation Squadron	Royal Air Force	30x MiG-29
110th Long-Range Radiolocating Post	Royal Air Force	1x NUR-22; 1x NUR-31; 1x NUR-41
1st Congo Helicopter Squadron	Royal Land Forces	24x Mi-24VM
2nd Squadorn, 56th Air Base	Royal Land Forces	12x Mi-24D
Red Flight, OKP Huragon	Royal Navy	10x PZL W-3W
Green Flight, 1st Special Operations Aviation Squadron	Royal Special Forces	10x PZL W-3W

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Scenarios

1. Simulate Aerial Incursion utilizing coordination at various airbases and false positive detection on radars
2. Simulate Ground Attack exercise utilizing CAS aircraft and armed helicopters
3. Simulate Aerial Incursion utilizing coordinate at various airbases and false positive detection on radars
4. Simulate Ground-to-Air Defense capabilities of Airbases utilizing dummy rounds and laser pods
5. Final Simulation of Aerial Incursion utilizing coordination at various airbases and false positive detection on Radars

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Pre-Exercise:

All aircraft, aircrew, and ground crew participating in exercise would be required to undergo inspection and examination to ensure all vehicles and soldiers adhere to the strict regulations of the Royal Armed Forces. Any vehicles found lacking would be required to undergo maintenance to ensure maximum capabilities. Participants except for the 1st Congo-Polish Squadron would not be informed of the Operation taking place to insure a proper response was recorded for the fist incursion simulation. 1st Polish-Congo Squadron would perform high-altitude training and adaptation as well as low-altitude flying. Both trainings would be done at night and day to insure their knowledge was properly refreshed before the beginning of the exercise.

 

[ManBear]

Encrypted and Secured by POSP

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Operation Gutsy Osprey
Operacja Odważny Rybołów
1st Simulated Incursion

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In the early morning January dawn, frost covered the grass and windows of the buildings situated at the bases the 31st Aviation Squadron, 32nd Aviation Squadron, and the 41st Aviation Squadron called home. One hundred miles away from each base, the first radar beacons would be activated on the Radar systems at each base, which was then filtered to the TOPAZ system, which acted as a Command and Control center, before the alert was sent out. The klaxon sounded across each base as the watch commander would begin speaking through the megaphone. "Unknown contacts on the radar approaching from the west. Scramble fighter squadrons." The pilots on duty had grown lazy from their idleness and were various states of disrobement as the call and they rushed to assemble their proper uniforms as they all rushed to their aging MiG-29 fighter jets. Each aircraft had been fully loaded with weapons as the Pilots got themselves ready in their flight suits and ensured the aircraft were flight worthy. The precious few minutes passed as jets began ascending into the air, staggered and not in formation as they began moving towards the contact pings.

The first fifteen planes from the airbases would find themselves set upon from enemy MiG-29Ms dropping from high-altitude or from lower altitudes, utilizing terrain to hide their radar signatures. No weapons were fired but as soon as enemy weapon lock was gained on their aircraft, they would be ordered to return to base by their commanding officer who was listening to the Pilot's talk. Soon the rest of the Pilots realized it was a training exercise and relaxed but that would cost them their hypothetical lives as they let their guards drop. More and more fighters from the airbases were 'destroyed' and eventually the call for retreat was sounded and the remaining aircraft would return to their airbases with heavy losses. They had lacked situational awareness, training in various dogfighting tactics, and were too lackadaisical to be of any help for any true incursion of their airspace.

As the sun began climbing over the mountains and trees of Poland, the Pilots would be in the classrooms going over footage from their aircraft and the enemy aircraft while they were given lectures on what not to do. Very few received praise from these Pilots of the 1st Congo-Polish Squadron. They would utilize draw erase boards to demonstrate maneuvers to perform and what not to perform depending on what the enemy was doing on their six. They explained that they had to be better pilots in their older aircraft and not just rely on overwhelming numbers as indicated in the exercise. The older MiGs lost out to the more modern MiGs in more than just technological advancement.

Soon the classroom time would end and the Pilots would begin their inflight training, two pilots from the airbases would be assigned to a Polish-Congo Squadron pilots while they were in the air. During this aerial training the Polish-Congo pilots would explain maneuvers and demonstrate them to their students. They would then instruct them on how to perform those maneuvers and allow them to attempt to perform them. Polish-Congo Squadron Pilots would demonstrate higher-skilled maneuvers such as Pugachev's Cobra maneuver but would not allow the students to perform the maneuver.

 

[ManBear]

Encrypted and Secured by POSP

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Operation Gutsy Osprey
Operacja Odważny Rybołów
1st Simulated Close Air Support Exercise

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Much like the first exercise, the Pilots assigned to participate in the aerial training exercise were woken up before the sun had begun to crest the horizon to be given their briefing. Unlike the previous exercise, however, the pilots were given a clear objective and informed that this would be done as a training exercise with live ammunition. Fake targets had been set up on the firing ranges located near the airbases that would allow the helicopters and close air support aircraft to perform their duties with targets. The attacks would be judged based off of their accuracy, damage, and interoperability/communication. The PZL W-3W helicopters would act as scouts for the Su-25 aircraft who would be performing the ground attack missions. Once the Su-25s had finished their attack runs, PZL W-3W helicopters would perform aerial reconnaissance and deal with any possible ground troops on the ground or light vehicles that had survived the initial run. They would then relay any hard targets that had survived the initial run for a secondary run on the target.

Pilots and helicopter crews would be well rested and wear their proper uniform to insure their upkeeping of the standards of the Polish Armed Forces. Medical forces would be on standby in case of any accidents that may occur. Helicopters and jets would be inspected prior to the exercise to insure they were in working order and any vehicle that was deemed unable to fly safely would be removed from active duty and repaired. Those pilots would assist the judges until their aircraft were deemed safe to fly.

 

[ManBear]

Encrypted and Secured by POSP

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Operation Gutsy Osprey
Operacja Odważny Rybołów
2nd Simulated Air Incursion

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As with the first air incursion, the Pilots were given zero warning before the klaxon of the air raid sirens that were present on every Polish military base sounded, alerting all personnel stationed there that enemy aircraft had been sighted. This time, there were no delay as the pilots who had been stationed on duty ran to their waiting aircraft as the ground crew began maneuvering each vehicle onto the runway via hand trawlers as the Pilots began their pre-flight checks. Each pilot would check their tail rudders, rear flaps, and front flaps utilizing the keen eyes of the ground crews to insure that each piece was operating as intended. As the five minute mark approached, each jet apart of the initial wave would begin their trip down the runway at full power before pulling the nose of their aircraft towards the sky and leaving the ground behind.

At the ten minute mark, the jet aircraft would intercept each other and the pseudo-dogfight would ensue. This time it was less of a pitched battle and more well rounded as the pilots of both teams worked together to 'down' enemy aircraft. Each time a laser was locked, a pilot would exit the battlefield simulating being shot down. By the end of the duel, three jets of the 'OPFOR' were left flying while ten of the 'BLUFOR' were left flying. A remarkable increase in ability for those that had participated in the previous exercise.

Once all the pilots had landed and rested for a bit, they would all be called back to the classroom where they would undergo after action reporting and what they had done wrong, what they could do better, and what they excelled at. At the end of the classroom time, ten pilots were chosen to undergo advanced training with the Polish-Congo squadron where they would learn advanced maneuvers such as the Cobra maneuver.

 

[ManBear]

Encrypted and Secured by POSP

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Operation Gutsy Osprey
Operacja Odważny Rybołów
Simulated Air Defense Exercise

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To simulate the effectiveness of Polish Airbases and their Air Defense systems, the air raid sirens would be delayed until there was no chance of Polish jets to take off before the arrival of the enemy forces. Once that threshold was hit, the bases were abuzz with activity as missile defense systems and flak cannons were mobilized, loaded, and brought to bear against any enemy aircraft. Fortunately, the drills the air defense teams ran were separate from the pilots and the air defenses were brought up in time to target several aircraft and score 'kills' on them before locations were targets and 'destroyed'. Fifteen minutes after the attack had begun the exercise was called off and OPFOR planes returned to the airfield to refuel and rearm before hosting their debriefing of the exercise.

As the briefing commenced it became evident that Poland's air bases lacked serious air defense systems for their protection and the Royal Armed Forces would need to proceed to reach out to defense agencies to better prepare the Kingdom for future wars. Otherwise, the training of the air defense teams were surprisingly good and the pilots had little to offer in advise to the teams. They would send a letter of recommendation to the Ministry of National Defense in response to their feeling of the lack of defenses against aerial attacks following the conclusion of the training exercise.

 

[ManBear]

Encrypted and Secured by POSP

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Operation Gutsy Osprey
Operacja Odważny Rybołów
Final Simulated Air Incursion

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Unlike the previous air incursions, there would be no predetermined point of arrival for the Air Incursion. Radars on the bases would operate as normal and OPFOR pilots would attempt to bypass these Radars utilizing height and terrain management. With the AESA based radar system for Northern Poland and the NUR radar trucks, it did not take long for the Polish forces to detect the air incursion and begin the klaxon warning of an air raid. Pilots would rush to aircraft while air defense teams would mobilize in the direction of the approaching enemy aircraft. Utilizing IFF technology onboard the mobilizing Air Defense platforms, the Polish air defense teams begin targeting enemy aircraft as they came into their range of fire while the Polish jets would move to provide aerial interception of the enemy. It did not take long for the skies of northern Poland to be filled with the screeching of racing polish fighter jets as they 'clashed' in the skies above their homes. With the repeated trainings and exercises both sides worked with tremendous skill to down enemies and to evade enemies themselves.

By the end of the engagement BLUFOR forces emerged victorious with limited aircraft 'downed' and the entire enemy force 'destroyed' thanks to the combined efforts of the Polish fighters and the Air Defense teams. On the debriefing, the commander of OPFOR would give them a standing ovation for the work they had done and would congratulate them on truly earning their wings.

 

[ManBear]

Training Exercise Finished