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USAREUR to test `ready force' in Hungary

HEIDELBERG, Germany (Army News Service, May 9) - More than 2,500 soldiers and airmen from the United States, Hungary, Italy and Slovenia will participate in "Hungarian Response 2002," a multinational power-projection exercise in Hungary, May 13-22.

Hungarian Response will exercise the rapid deployment of Europe's forward-based forces, officials said, practice a theater-level non-combatant evacuation operation or NEO, and increase U.S. and NATO ally interoperability.

The exercise will be the first time all the components of U.S Army Europe's Immediate Ready Force will deploy within 48 hours and operate in a simulated tactical environment, officials said. The IRF is a package of combat and support units capable of quickly responding to a contingency within the EUCOM area of responsibility. Officials said the IRF is a flexible force, capable of conducting a full range of missions from peacekeeping to peace enforcement operations, to high-intensity combat operations.

Hungarian Response provides the U.S. Air Force the opportunity to conduct multi-phased air operations in support of Army ground actions, officials said, while coordinating various aspects of airspace command and control with NATO partner countries. There will also be a night heavy drop of equipment and paratroopers. Heavy reinforcing combat and combat support units will land, and Army aircraft will participate in the exercise.

Hungarian Response training missions will include: the rapid deployment of airborne, armored and mechanized combat forces, conducting an evacuation of non-combatant personnel, heavy force maneuvers, live-fire exercises, air-to-ground gunnery and additional airborne operations.

Hungarian Response will involve Army units from the Southern European Task Force (Airborne), V Corps, 1st Armored Division and 21st Theater Support Command. European and stateside assets of the U.S. Air Force, including the 3rd U.S. Air Force and 86th Air Wing, will provide an airlift capability to deploy and sustain the Army units throughout the exercise.

The exercise will involve more than 125 wheeled and armored vehicles, and more than 25 aircraft from Germany and Italy. It will be hosted by the Hungarian Ministry of Defense.