KABUL, Afghanistan –
Members of the Afghan National Army’s Special Operations Command’s (ANASOC) "Hamahangee Tacktikee Hawa (HTH),” the Afghan military’s version of tactical air coordination, sharpened their skills during a 6-week class focusing on land navigation and air coordination skills, in June and July.
Commandos plotted grid coordinates in a classroom setting before moving to a simulated real-world environment to put those skills into practice.
Throughout the training, Commandos used different communications platforms to communicate with overhead aircraft during their missions, replicating battlefield scenarios. This multi-faceted communications approach enables Commandos to orchestrate precise kinetic close-air strikes and efficient casualty evacuation.
"This ‘continuing education’ for Commandos is a large part of why they are so successful on the battlefield,” said one of the U.S. Special Operations Force trainers. "A multi-faceted communication approach enables Commandos to better orchestrate kinetic close-air strikes and casualty evacuation.”
Commandos are a specialized light-infantry unit capable of conducting raids, direct action and reconnaissance. Modeled after the U.S. Army Rangers, Commandos provide a strategic response capability for Afghanistan.
Established in 2015, Resolute Support (RS) is a NATO-led, non-combat mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), who assumed nationwide responsibility for Afghanistan’s security following the conclusion of the previous NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission. Its purpose is to help the Afghan security forces and institutions develop the capacity to defend Afghanistan and protect its citizens in a sustainable manner.