KDF Graduates First Joint Terminal Attack Controllers as Part of U.S. Partnership
KDF Graduates First Joint Terminal Attack Controllers as Part of U.S. Partnership
Tuesday, September 19, 2023, Nairobi, Kenya. Ten members of the Kenya Defence Forces graduated from the Kenya Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) course on Friday, becoming the first KDF cohort to complete the U.S.-led training.
The graduates, selected from the enlisted corps, completed a rigorous 12-week joint program led by U.S. Special Operations, Marines, Army, and Air Force instructors. The course focused on the fundamentals of close-air support, civilian harm mitigation, and airspace deconfliction.
“The KDF continues to demonstrate extraordinary leadership: in this instance sharpening their abilities to operate effectively in complex joint-combined environments,” said U.S. Navy Captain John Cowan, the U.S. Special Operation Command Liaison at the U.S. Embassy in Kenya. “Air-to-ground integration is arguably one of the most complex military activities, and these courses traditionally see very few who start able to complete the training successfully. The KDF’s high completion rate for this course demonstrates the readiness and professionalism of KDF service members. These graduates should all be exceptionally proud of their accomplishment.”
The Kenya JTAC program was developed in partnership with the U.S. government’s $30 million Air to Ground Integration Program as a means to expand defense capabilities of the KDF and develop more effective an agile partnership between the U.S. and Kenyan militaries through training and equipment support.
Photo Caption:
Participants during the Kenya Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) course.