The courses were held on the premises of Military training area Lešť. The courses were performed from June 15 to June 19, 2015 and from June 22 to June 26, 2015 respectively. A total of 32 participants from 11 NATO and PfP countries were trained: Canada (4), Czech Republic (6), Denmark (1), Estonia (2), Germany (2), Netherlands (3), Norway (2), Poland (4), Singapore (1), Slovakia (6), Spain(1).
The course consisted of theoretical lectures and practical training scenarios. Theoretical lectures were conducted predominantly by the ATF and University of Pardubice chemists. The rest of the lectures were given by the representatives of contracted companies (Alluviam, Thermo Fisher Scientific, QinetiQ), CPT Peter Tomiczek and 1LT Dusan Harabin. Vast majority of theoretical lectures took place every morning. The primary aim was to introduce students to various HME families (chlorates, nitrates, peroxides) and to make them more familiar with their properties, availability and processes of manufacture.
The practical part took place every afternoon and evening and included improvised detonators class, HME laboratories demonstration, HME explosives (effects) demonstration and mixing HME by students, processing clandestine, peroxide-based, chlorate and perchlorate-based HME laboratory, tactical site exploitation /sensitive site exploitation of nitrate-based HME laboratory. During the entire practical phase (except for HME explosives demonstration) all trainees were divided into two syndicates in which they acted either as Team Leaders or Team Members with plenty of various duties to perform.
All participants successfully passed the written test and practical examination which concluded their training effort. At the final evaluation briefing the trainees expressed satisfaction with the contents of the course as well as high regard of the course execution. After meeting all the required criteria the participants received certificates of the course completion during the graduation ceremony.
Author: 1LT Ján TARNOCI (SVK-A)
30 September 2015