Feb 13 2021

FURIOUS WOLF 2021

SZCZECIN, Poland – Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) from across the enhanced Forward Presence will team up with NATO's Air Policing crews for a major exercise in Estonia and Lithuania. Scheduled for February 15 – March 12, FURIOUS WOLF 2021 will also see the participation of the MNC NE Air Operations Coordination Center.

FURIOUS WOLF is tailored to integrate Air and Land operations in a very special way. During the three-week exercise, the ground based JTACs will work together with the Allied aircrews to develop Close Air Support (CAS) skills.

JTACs main job of is to direct CAS air strikes. They keep track of all aircrafts available in their assigned area while supporting any unit to which they are attached. If that unit comes into contact with the enemy, JTACs get to work. They fix the locations of friendly forces, enemy elements and civilians on the battlefield. By working together with aircrews and ensuring positive target identification, JTACs support troops on the ground in achieving mission success with minimal collateral damage.

In order to fulfill their duties, JTACs must be knowledgeable of the capabilities and limitations of specialized equipment, aircraft platforms, delivery tactics and characteristics of many different munitions. Controllers deployed in Baltic region as part of the enhanced Forward Presence regularly increase their interoperability and mutual understanding of tactics and procedures. They make a group of like-minded specialists who operate to the same NATO standard.

The MNC NE Air Operations Coordination Center will bridge both Air and Land components. That means all CAS requests will be vetted and coordinated through the Szczecin-based command with NATO's Air Policing assets to execute the missions during FURIOUS WOLF.