16 Air Assault Brigade by Tim Ripley

Author:Tim Ripley
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781783409136
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2013-06-03T16:00:00+00:00

The existing NATO base at Petrovec could not cope with the new arrivals and the first TFH troops were moved into a series of improvised bases in disused industrial sites or farm complexes around the Skopje area. 2 PARA were sent to a former peanut factory, which they dubbed Camp Arnhem. The facilities were primitive and the British Army was found to be sorely lacking in portable showers, washing and cooking facilities. The poor quality of the British Army’s expeditionary infrastructure equipment was brought to the fore. The paratroopers mucked in and made the best of their lot. Up the road the French Foreign Legion were living in relative luxury thanks to their pre-packed containers of tents, showers, camp beds and other kit they had ready for such missions.

RAF Hercules were sent to Pristina on 26 August to pick up the Scimitar armoured reconnaissance vehicles of the Scots Dragoon Guards, which had been stopped from joining 16 Brigade because of the border blockade. They were then flown southwards to Petrovec.

An aviation element of the Task Force Harvest Multi-National Brigade grew as the NATO mission gathered pace. The US Army offered to make Bravo Company’s Chinooks available for troop and cargo movement tasks. A further four other Chinooks were deployed to Camp Able Sentry from Germany to take over the border re-supply tasks, freeing Bravo Company to fully support Task Force Harvest. Two UH-60s were also placed on alert at Camp Able Sentry, to fly casualty evacuation missions for the new NATO force. Surveillance support for Task Force Harvest was provided by six IAI/TRW BQM-155A Hunter unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of Alpha Company, 15th Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation), already based at Petrovec airport.

With cease-fire violations threatening to unravel the peace deal, the commander of Task Force Harvest, Danish Major General Gunnar Lange, and Brigadier White-Spunner, were keen to get the thirty-day weapon collection operation under way as fast as possible. Three phases of weapon collection were planned to coincide with votes in the Macedonian parliament to ratify elements of the peace plan or changes to the constitution, so each phase was conducted under conditions of considerable political pressure and tension.

Reconnaissance and planning went into high gear on 25 and 26 August to prepare for the first weapon collection operation. Hunter UAVs were sent to scour around the target areas in the village of Otlija, north-east of Skopje. At the same time 657 Squadron was moving British Army liaison teams from 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (7 RHA) and the Special Forces to meet rebel and government military commanders to ensure they were ready for what was about to happen.

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