KDF train with Americans to build special rescue unit
What you need to know:
- The exercise was launched by Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo at Laikipia Air Base, outside Nanyuki Town in Laikipia County.
- Air Force pilots will also be trained on survival tactics and how to evade enemies for the period one is lost in enemy territory.
Kenyan and American troops on Tuesday began joint training aimed at building an elite unit for rescuing soldiers stranded in battle.
More than 200 troops will undergo the training under the guidance of US Africa Command.
The exercise was launched by Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo at Laikipia Air Base, outside Nanyuki Town in Laikipia County.
“This is a unique exercise in which we hope to learn from the experience of our brothers and sisters from the US, who possess extensive familiarity with scenarios that call for a personnel recovery or search and rescue in combat zones,” said Ms Omamo.
Established under the Kenya Air Force, the unit will operate behind enemy lines to ensure no soldier is left behind in the battlefield, especially during the ongoing war against Al Shabaab terrorists in Somalia.
Such situations arise in the event of capture or a pilot self-ejects from a fighter jet or is inadvertently lost in enemy territory.
SURVIVAL TACTICS
“The main aim of this combat and rescue training is to prepare our personnel to enhance their skills in the event they face a situation calling for a rescue mission to recover friendly forces from enemy territory,” said the Air Force Commander, Maj-Gen Samuel Thuita.
Air Force pilots will also be trained on survival tactics and how to evade enemies for the period one is lost in enemy territory.
US Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec said that developing Kenya’s security agencies was one of the issues discussed when President Barack Obama visited the country last year.
“It’s a good example of ongoing cooperation between KDF (Kenya Defence Forces), US Air Force and the Massachusetts National Guard,” said Mr Godec.
Ugandan troops are also attending as observers, because they are allies in the war against Al-shabaab in Somalia under the auspices of the African Union mission. The operation is codenamed ‘Linda Rhino’. KDF was deployed to fight Al Shabaab militants in Somalia in October 2011.
