Combat Search and Rescue of Two Pilots Behind Enemy Lines

Jump… jump… jump

It is now 1/ 7/ 2018, at 5: 47 a.m.

we received a report of a fighter jet crashing behind enemy lines The

alarm went off, we received the report,

the mission started after calling in the helicopters, Fighter jets, radar planes,

refueling planes, operations centers coordinating between the joint forces,

Coordination at the ministry level as a whole,

coordination on decision- making In the senior leadership,

all this coordination did not take time,

everyone wanted to race against time

We prepared our equipment, we took information about the incident the fighter jets

took off first and arrived in the area, They started searching for him,

there was communication between them and the pilot,

they passed the information to the operations center to confirm the exact location,

then we headed to the aircraft and three helicopters from Squadron 99 took off,

from King Khalid Air Base to carry out the combat search and rescue operation,

and on the way to the mission,

we received updated information— how are they doing? Was their location determined?

Where are they exactly?

So that we can also determine their position for us, the aircraft are talking,

the command centers are talking,

and at the same time you are talking with your team: how will they land?

What is their formation when they land on the ground?

Will the aircraft land at their position?

Will the aircraft not land at their position?

You try to gather all this information,

everyone is heading to the operations area to carry out their role,

and everyone is in harmony for the sake of the goal.

There was a voice from behind enemy lines calling out.

There were aircrews calling,

there were people waiting for you:“ Please, oh wolves, glory upon glory,”

the feelings that come

to you at that moment are that this is something that must happen,

life and death become equal to you.

What you have inside is:“ I will go and bring him back, no discussion.”

We had a challenge, which was the time factor, the sun started to set.

I immediately got on the radio and told them:“ Give it all you’ve got,

give it all you’ve got, we are racing time, men.”

The operation was very complicated— mountain range, helicopters,

a rough area where you are flying for the first time at low altitude,

and the place is populated.

What kind of deserted place is this?

This is the level of risk we are taking just to save two people.

All the work that has been going on for years,

whether preparing equipment or intensive training, accuracy, focus,

sacrifices until this day and the like,

we received the order to enter the combat zone.

That is it, you have begun, we went in,

different tactics started so that the enemy cannot detect you.

We now begin the search operation and pinpoint his exact location.

The aircrews were sighted and identified, and the rescue operation began.

There was an aircraft that saw the first pilot,

he was badly injured due to the roughness of the terrain,

and it landed by him directly,

and it extracted the second pilot,

who was almost in a valley between the mountains, far from each other.

He saw us and we also saw him. Here begins the coordination between the fighter jets

and the pilot on the ground, and the helicopters,

and this harmony— how are we going to pull it off now? The aircraft came closer,

and the enemy was present in the area,

it targeted the helicopters and fired… Release any delay in

your actions in seconds This will cause the aircraft to be shot down Adjust the

plan as fast as possible

Change the location to behind the mountain where the pilot is

Deploy special forces, engage and remove threats, Secure the area,

quickly rescue and extract

the pilot While they were engaging and he was being prepared for evacuation,

the aircraft started taking off,

the enemy was present and there was a possibility of A threat to the aircraft

The fighter jets,

as soon as they saw the enemy preparing to target the helicopters

The targeting was carried out by the fighter jets

The danger to the pilot and to the group was neutralized.

It is a brave act that you, in enemy territory, land with the winch,

secure the survivor,

and go back up with him in the helicopter at that time,

so that in itself was a heroic act It took great courage. The two planes took off,

the one that carried the first pilot and the pilot…

The second, the cougar’s exit from the area was secured.

We will see you at our base.

At every stage of the operation, the mission was never easy.

It was successful in every detail,

the operation was carried out in record time, twenty- one minutes,

the shortest time ever for a combat search- and- rescue mission in the world,

meaning ever since we were little kids,

this whole“ coming to help” thing you find that it is embodied in this situation,

in this squadron at the level of the aircraft,

at the level of the command centers, at the level of the entire system as a whole