Annual winter exercise “WINTEX-2021” of Bangladesh Air Force concluded on Wednesday.
Chief of Air Staff of Bangladesh Air Force Air Chief Marshal Masihuzzaman Serniabat visited various BAF installations to witness different activities of WINTEX-2021. An ISPR press released on Thursday disclosed it. The annual exercise was was started on 27 February this year. The main objective of the week-long exercise is to assess and evaluate the operational capability of BAF to safeguard her own air space. The exercise also will help to identify the limitation and draw appropriate lessons for improvement in strenghening air defence capability of Bangladesh.
There are three phases of the exercise- Communication exercise (COMEX), Logistic exercise (LOGEX) & Live exercise (LIVEX). As part of the exercise, a special operation (Combat Search and Rescue) was conducted on Wednesday at the Airfield in Tangail. Fighter aircraft and helicopters flying from different BAF Bases including Commandos of BAF participated in the operation. The main purpose of the operation was to conduct a search and rescue operation for a pilot who had landed in enemy airspace by parachute. Besides, a special air operation was conducted at Sudharam Airfield of BAF in Noakhali on Wednesday as a significant part of the winter exercise where Bangladesh was divided into two separate states called Green Land and Red Land.
Sudharam Airfield was used as an important Forward Air Base of Red Land in this exercise. In this special air operation, 15 Para Commandos from Bangladesh Army and 30 Ground Combatants of BAF landed at Sudharam Airfield by three BAF MI-17 helicopters and ensured the victory of Green Land by securing the airfield.
In the Annual Winter Exercise “WINTEX-2021” of BAF, the pilots of BAF fighter aircraft, transport aircraft and helicopters practised different air combat maneuvers and tactics including attack and interception by the fighter aircraft, surveillance from the air to the enemy attacking area, protecting Air Bases, providing logistic support, troops rotation, transporting weapons, special operation and search & rescue mission. The exercise was conducted from Sylhet, Tangail, Lalmonirhat, Shamshernagar, Barishal, Rasulpur, Sudharam and all Air Force Bases, Stations and Units. All types of BAF fighter aircraft, transport aircraft, helicopters, radar and Missile unit including all BAF personnel took part in the exercise.
It is mentionable that Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy, Civil Defence and BNCC (Air Wing) participated in the exercise in limited scale to make the exercise more effective.