Lion Effort is the fifth exercise of the states operating the JAS-39 Gripen aircraft, also known by the abbreviation GUG (Gripen Users Group). In 2009, the host was the Republic of Hungary, the second exercise of this kind was held in 2012 in the Kingdom of Sweden, the third was held in 2015 in the Czech Republic, the fourth in 2018 again in the Republic of Hungary. In 2021, this exercise was canceled due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
Gripen aircraft of the air forces of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Sweden will participate in the LE24 exercise. Thailand will join without aircraft. The Czech Air Force will also fly L-159 light fighters, C-295 CASA transport aircraft, German Eurofighter Typhoon, Polish F-16 and A-330MRTT refueling aircraft will operate from the home base. In order to ensure the complexity of the scenarios, the Czech Air Force will activate the Air National Command Center (ANCC), and the JTAC from the 22nd Sedlec Helicopter Air Force base, Vícenice near Náměště nad Oslavou, will also be involved.
25th anti-aircraft missile regiment Strakonice with SURN as a ground air defense position. The entire tactical control will then be under the responsibility of the Czech Control and Reporting Center (CRC – Control and Reporting Centre).
Course of exercise
The exercise flight program, which will take place outside the weekend from May 14 to 23, 2024, is divided into two main blocks. In the morning, missions will be flown according to a complex scenario under the coordination of all trainees (COMAO – Composite Air Operations). COMAOs are operations where a large number of different types of aircraft operate together, possibly supported by ground forces, and their purpose is to achieve the desired military effect. In the afternoon, missions (the so-called Shadow wave) will follow, which will be focused on maneuver air combat and direct air support. More than two dozen aircraft will thus practice tactics in advanced air combat, including refueling in flight, and will further practice mutual cooperation.
“Lion Effort is unique in several aspects. First is the participation of the Swedish Air Force as a full member of NATO. Secondly, it is about the complexity of the exercises that the Czech Air Force has prepared for this year in the form of a combination of the Lion Effort exercise and the annual Ramstein Guard exercise, which is a highly watched exercise within the NATO air force community focused on training in electronic warfare and jamming,” said the colonel Michal Kudyn from the Air Force Command of the ACR.
In the first week, as part of the Ramstein Guard exercise, the aircrews will try their hand at electronic warfare in the conditions of interference with onboard radars, radio communications and the GPS satellite navigation system. This part of the exercise will involve the specially modified FA-20 interceptor aircraft of the civil British contractor Draken Europe, as well as other experts from the Faculty of Military Technologies of the University of Defense Brno, experts in global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) from the Military Geographical and Hydrometeorological Office in Dobruška and specialists with ground equipment from the 53rd regiment of reconnaissance and electronic warfare Opava.
“Gripens play a key role in this exercise. They will participate in both scenarios aimed at practicing advanced tactics in aerial combat, even in jamming conditions, as well as tasks when acting against ground targets by providing CAS (Close Air Support) using Litening 4i targeting and reconnaissance containers. Even this short list only underlines the capabilities of the JAS-39 Gripen aircraft, which the Czech Air Force expects to be a key element of the tactical air force for the next decade,” added Colonel Kudyn.
Reserved flight areas
For exercise purposes, on May 13 – 17 and 20 and 24, the LION 1 and LION 2 flight areas will be reserved from 8:00 – 9:30 a.m. and the LION 3, SW1 areas from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. and SW2 (see map below). The spaces have a TRA character and entry will not be allowed. FIC Praha and ACC Praha will provide more detailed information on the current state of activation of individual spaces.
