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APROC 2018: That others may live!

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APROC 2018

Originally published in June 2018, refreshed in 2026.

From 23 May to 6 June 2018, the Royal Netherlands Air Force hosted APROC 2018 at Gilze-Rijen Air Base. Around 30 aircraft from seven countries took part, and on 4 June I spent the day at the edge of the airfield. Helicopters everywhere you looked! 🚁

Italian Navy EH-101 2-20 flying with a Royal Netherlands Air Force AH-64D Apache below during the APROC 2018 personnel recovery exercise at Gilze-Rijen Air Base, the Netherlands, June 2018.

What is APROC?

APROC stands for Air Centric Personnel Recovery Operative Course. Every year a different country hosts it, and the goal is simple to say but hard to do: rescue personnel in distress, even deep in hostile or enemy territory 🎯 More background can be found at the European Personnel Recovery Centre.

The course teaches aircrew and extraction forces to work as one team, using the same procedures, terminology and formats. Trainees plan and fly a series of tactical missions that get tougher every day, with simulated threats to make the scenarios as realistic as possible.

Royal Netherlands Air Force Chinook coming in to pick up a group of soldiers, with an Apache in the background during the APROC 2018 personnel recovery exercise at Gilze-Rijen Air Base, the Netherlands, June 2018.

Who took part?

  • France: 2x AS555AN Fennec (Air Force), 1x NH90-TTH (Army), 1x E-3F (Air Force, from Avord)
  • Italy: 1x EA-550A and 3x F-2000 Typhoon (Air Force), 1x HH-101A Caesar (Air Force), 1x EH-101A (Navy), 2x Gulfstream G550 CAEW
  • The Netherlands: 4x AH-64D Apache, 1x AS532U Cougar, 2x CH-47D/F Chinook, 2x F-16AM (from Volkel)
  • Poland: 2x Mi-24V Hind (Army)
  • Spain: 2x AS332B Super Puma (Air Force)
  • Sweden: 1x HKP 16 Black Hawk (Air Force)
  • United Kingdom: 2x Puma HC2 (RAF), 3x Merlin HC4 (Royal Navy)
  • NATO: 1x E-3A AWACS (from Geilenkirchen)

All helicopters and the Italian Gulfstreams flew from Gilze-Rijen, while the fast jets and AWACS joined in from their own bases.

A day at Gilze-Rijen

What a mix of rotors! Royal Navy Merlins 🇬🇧 coming in low, a Chinook picking up a group of soldiers with an Apache waiting in the background, Polish Hinds taxiing out and a Spanish SAR Super Puma hovering just above the grass. And every now and then a crew member waving from a cabin window 👋

Below you’ll find a selection of my favourite shots from that day 📸

Enjoy! ✈️✨

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