The 35th Para-Commando Air Defence Battery

Over the last few years, an increase of potential air threat has been observed throughout the world. The Belgian Para-Commando Brigade had to find an accurate answer to that growing air threat : the man portable air defense system MISTRAL is obviously the adequate response. The lightweight infrared missile has become the major item of the 35th Para-Commando Air Defense Battery.

Stationed in Knesselaere barracks, Camp Roi Baudouin in Spich, Germany, the battery is the only unit of the Para-Commando Brigade permanently abroad.

Organisation

The Battery is an independent unit and is composed of:

• a small staff
• three platoons divided into two sections with three firing posts each
• a command and control platoon divided into three sections

Personnel

The 35th Para-Commando Air Defence Battery counts:

• 8 officers, 60 non-commissioned officers and 90 soldiers in peacetime
• 8 officers, 80 non-commissioned officers and 117 soldiers in wartime

Both air defense and para-commando aspects are considered in training. The aim of air defense exercises is to keep personnel fully skilled. Tactical as well as technical training is planned : deployment, mobility tests, simulated firing sequences, live shooting practice in Crete. Field training exercises take place regularly either together with the Brigade or within the Multi National Division. The para-commando skills must also be maintained to the highest level. Therefore, personnel have the opportunity to practice on the unit climbing wall or on German rocks in the Rhine area. An intensive annual week is organised at the Commando Training Centre in Marche- les-Dames. Finally, parachute jumps are scheduled monthly at the Paratroopers Training Centre in Schaffen.

Equipment

The major equipment consists of 18 MISTRAL firing systems. The unit will soon get three command and control centers each equipped  with a detection radar. The MISTRAL weapons system is a light man portable equipment, which has the following features :

• infrared seeker with very high sensitivity
• « fire and forget » operations
• very short reaction time
• very high speed (850 m/s, Mach 2.5)
• laser proximity fuse
• very lethal warhead triggering by proximity or by impact fuse
• 1500 tungsten balls spread in all directions with high density and very high velocity (1500 m/s)

Carried on a light truck, the systems are deployed on the ground at less than 2 km away from each other. An efficient training simulator is also available at unit level.
All other weapons such as FNC rifles, Minimi light machine-guns, GP 9mm pistols give enough firepower at short distance. Supplementary items may be issued on request. Unimog and MAN cargo trucks, ILTIS jeeps and also Bombardier motorcycles assure full mobile capacity .

Missions

The unit must be able worldwide and on a short time notice to :

• protect the combat and the support units of the Para-Commando Brigade against air attacks and reconnaissance flights
• assure the air defense coverage of military installations such as air fields or dropping zones
• defend sensitive points or zones in the forward combat area against air attacks and reconnaissance flights
• take an active part in the general air defense by intercepting enemy aircraft at very low, low and medium altitude.

History

The unit is activated on 1 July 1994. Selected personnel and staff are mainly coming from dissolved units such as the 35th Artillery  Battalion (GEPARD), the 62th Artillery Battalion (HAWK) and the Reconnaissance Special Teams Company. Since 1994, their mission consists in bringing different elements together to build a firing Battery matching with the high standards of the Brigade. Finally, in November 1997, the unit is declared operational by the highest authorities. Today, the unit is ready to deploy everywhere in the world on a very short notice.
In 1997, the first steps to a partnership with the French « 35ème Régiment d'Artillerie Parachutiste » equipped with MISTRAL systems have been taken. Since that time, common activities take place between the two units on a regular basis.

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