IT is the role of Army's Forward Air Controllers (FACs) to guide Tornados jets and Hawks flying at over 600mph at 250ft towards tanks and armoured vehicles on the ground.  These soldiers operate with the frontline troops in the thick of the action. Exercise Flying Rhino plays a vital role in training FACs in the use of air support in land battles.

More than a thousand personnel including 500 British service men and women took part in Exercise Flying Rhino in the Czech Republic.

The 1 (UK) Armoured Division's annual training exercise, which saw army and air units join a multinational contingent for two weeks, focussed on the use of the new digital Bowman communications systems to aid military planning and training procedures for the integration of air support in land battles.

Lynx Army helicopter pilot, and FAC trainee, Captain James Pusey (29) who serves with Gütersloh based 1 Army Air Corps, said:

"We sometimes only have seconds to talk pilots through before they open fire.  It's essential our instructions are right as targets may be in civilian areas or close to our troops - any mistake could be disastrous. If there's any doubt we will abort."

On the communications side, as part of the exercise, which ran from 14 April to 1 May, the Danish Army's Seeking Radar system was integrated with British computers. The radar uniquely shows the real-time positions of any aircraft flying in its 100km range.

Brigadier Rob Weighill, Commander Royal Artillery overseeing the exercise said:

"This is one of the first times that a fully digital and integrated HQ has been set up. What we practise here will benefit operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and beyond. It is also one of the first times that we have had pilots working in HQ alongside the army.  Integrated planning between the land and air is the way of the future."