AEC Skyline deployed its bespoke ISR services to Denmark in support of the Composite Special Operations Air Task Group (C-SOATG) being trained there during exercise Trojan Phoenix. Held by the Danish, Dutch and Belgian military between 26 October and 6 November, the certification exercise saw AEC Skyline together with Smart Delta company installing an advanced networking solution, hereby enabling the delivery of an ISR feed to Aalborg air base, where the trinational SOF Air C2 element was based.
Originating from AEC Skyline’s EO/IR sensor and video downlink equipped Learjet 36 platform, the full motion video feed was distributed by the company’s ground control station to the SOATG, the Exercise Control (EXCON) organisation and the Tactical Operations Center managing US air assets made available for the exercise. In addition, AEC Skyline also deployed one of its inflatable full scale surrogate targets, operating in Central and North Jutland and the island of Bornholm in support of the exercise’s many ISR and Digitally Aided Close Air Support (DACAS) scenarios.
Exercise Trojan Phoenix is part of the wider effort by Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium to field a Composite Special Operations Component Command (C-SOCC), a process that commenced in early 2017. During 2021, this SOF headquarters will be on standby to meet any contingency that might require the activation of the NATO Response Force (NRF).
In order to counter the threat posed by Covid-19, all personnel participating in the exercise underwent frequent testing with strict hygiene and distancing measures being enforced.
