Green Blade / Pegasus 2012 Kleine-Brogel Airbase
Between September 18th and October 5th, 2012 Belgium was the host nation for a multinational helicopter exercise called “ Green Blade / Pegasus “. Kleine-Brogel Airbase served as a Deployed Operating Base for both exercises Green Blade and Pegasus. Green Blade was the fifth helicopter training exercise in a row organized since 2009 by the Helicopter Exercise Program (HEP) while Pegasus is a Special Forces exercise from different countries.
About fifteen helicopters from three different countries arrived at Kleine Brogel on Monday 17 September to participate. Belgium participated with five Agusta A-109BA helicopters from 1st Wing based at Beauvechain, the German Army (HEER) came to Kleine-Brogel with six UH-1D Hueys from the base Niederstetten, Germany from Transporthubschrauberregiment 30 (THR30). The last country that participated was the Italian Army participating with two Agusta A-129C Mangusta attack helicopters from 5° Reggimento “Rigel”, based at Casarsa della Delizia and two CH-47C Chinook transport helicopters from 1° Reggimento “Antares” in Viterbo. The Belgian Air Force also provided two Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, 2 B-Hunter UAV’s and four Lockheed Martin F-16’s to support and participate in this exercise.
During the arrivals and the weeks from the exercise various members from Low Approach visited Kleine-Brogel to photograph these helicopters when they departed or returned from their mission. Below you find a small photoreport of these days.
On Tuesday the 2nd of October there was a special press day that was organized at the airfield of Sanicole in Hechtel. Alain Meykens attended this pressday and made following pictures.
Text: Alain Meykens, Dirk Geuns
Photography: Alain Meykens, Laurent Heyligen, Tim Van den Boer, Dirk Geuns