Air Force deploys ‘forward air controllers’ vs Sayyaf, JI

PANAMAO, Sulu — Government troops gained the upper hand in the offensive against the Abu Sayyaf through the help of US troops training Filipino soldiers how to pick out their targets from aboard roving helicopters.

The tactic proved to be a nightmare for the bandits who are forced to run constantly from the numerically superior government troops chasing them on the ground.

US forces, through its Special Warfare Team (SWAT), have trained Filipino snipers from the Army’s 9th Tactical Operation Group (TOG) to pick out moving targets even at night.

According to Col. Elmer Amon, 9th TOG commander, his men have used MG520 attack helicopters as its Forward Air Controller (FAC) to act as "the eye in the sky" for troops chasing the Abu Sayyaf on the ground.

Amon said the impressive capability of the 9th TOG was demonstrated when US-trained Light Reaction Company (LRC) snipers were deployed at the helicopter’s platform to stop moving targets even as they move out to sea.

He said the bandits are having difficulty in escaping unnoticed because some of them are being picked out by snipers on board the helicopters.

Amon said the technique proves powerfully effective in pinpointing enemy locations while minimizing the danger to friendly ground troops and collateral damage.

"Using the technique requires skills and rigorous training. And our crew are effective on that," Amon said.

Amon revealed the troops are using four UH-1H helicopters in the mission and two MG520 attack helicopters for night operations.

"The UH-1H helicopters have their own dedicated pilots and crews who are only on call for the night mission," Amon said.

The pilots and crew members of the 9th TOG have been essential for the aerial war support of the current hunt for Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani and the two Bali bombers Dulmatin and Umar Patek.

Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) spokesman Maj. Eugene Batara said the 9th TOG air crew have been helpful in supplying the ground forces with ammunition and medical supplies to allow the troops to continue the chase.

Amon said one of the critical missions which the troops lauded is the "Medevac," a military jargon for medical evacuation capability.

"When our wounded brothers need medical attention quickly, we use (the) helicopters to make that happen and save lives," he said.

The military have stepped the offensive under "Oplan Ultimatum," saying they have already pinpointed the exact location of the bandits and cornering their leaders would only be a matter of time.

Over 6,000 troops are closing in on the Abu Sayyaf, which has provided sanctuary to Dulmatin and Patek, both wanted for the bloody bombing of Bali resort in Indonesia that killed over 200 people in October 2002.

US troops are helping government forces track down the Abu Sayyaf and the three terrorists with the use of sophisticated surveillance equipment.

The assistance of the US military is the same kind of technical support given to the troops in previous anti-terror operations.

The US government is helping out in the manhunt for the three terrorists through technical and intelligence gathering assistance.