Estonian and U.S. Special Operation Forces operators fast rope out of a U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey, assigned to the 352d Special Operations Wing, during training near Amari, Estonia, Dec. 12, 2017.
Estonian and U.S. SOF conducted Fast Rope Insertion and Extraction System training to build combined NATO SOF readiness.
“One minute!,” a U.S. Air Force Special Operations rope master shouts back to a team of Estonian and U.S. Special Operations Forces from the ramp of a U.S.A.F. CV-22 Osprey with the 352d Special Operations Wing.
“One minute!,” they thunder back over the sound of powerful rotors, as they prepare to fast rope out the back of the aircraft.
U.S. SOF conducted Fast Rope Insertion and Extraction System training with their Estonian partners testing the capabilities of the system and how effectively it could be implemented, Dec. 12, 2017.
FRIES is a technique where troops make use of a thick rope to exit an aircraft in places where it cannot land.
“Fast rope insertion and extraction system, most people just call it fast roping,” said the U.S. SOF assistant detachment commander. “That’s getting out of a rotary wing aircraft in an expedient, but controlled manner.”
The system has a wide array of capabilities to offer in real-world scenarios, challenging terrain and the battlespace.
