Today, the recovery of isolated personnel using a wide range of air assets usually takes place in a multi-national environment. in order to be efficient, effective and successful, conducting recovery missions composed of team members and equipment from different nations requires continuous training.
From 23 May until 7 June, the European Personnel Recovery Center (EPRC) held this year's Air-centric Personnel Recovery Operatives Course APROC at the Dutch Main Operating Base of Gilze-Rijen.
The primary aim of APROC is to educate and train:

• Aircrews that have little or no experience in planning and conducting complex missions based on a PR scenario. Complex as in multinational, multi-ship, dissimilar type aircraft;
• Experienced pilots to become Rescue Mission Commander through learning to lead the planning and execution of complex missions and brief and de-brief the mission to the task-force and higher commander;
• Extraction Forces leadership to fully participate in the planning of complex missions based on a personnel recovery scenario.

The secondary aim is to educate and train:

• Airborne Early Warning crews to become proficient as Airborne Mission Coordinator;
• Rescue Escort crews to act as proficient On Scene Commander;
• Extraction Forces to apply standards to recover isolated personnel and provide medical care to them as required.

NATO definitions

• The capture of NATO personnel and the exploitation by a hostile actor during operations could have a significant negative impact on operational security, morale of assigned forces and public support. The Alliance therefore requires a system to recover military and civilian personnel that have become isolated.
• Personnel Recovery: the sum of military, diplomatic and civil efforts to effect the recovery and reintegration of isolated personnel.
• Isolated personnel: military or civilian personnel, who are separated from their unit or organization in a situation that may require

Performers:
AS.555AN, EH05.067, France, RESCORT
NH-90 NFH, 33 FL, France, extraction vehicle
AH-64D, 301 Sqn, The Netherlands, RESCORT
AS.532U2, 300 Sqn, The Netherlands, extraction vehicle
CH-47D/F, 298 Sqn, The Netherlands, extraction vehicle
MI-24V, 56.BLT, Poland, RESCORT
AS.332B, 803 Esc, Spain, extraction vehicle
Merlin HC.4, 845 NAS, Great Britain, extraction vehicle
EF2000, 4° Stormo, Italy, RESCORT
HH-101A, 15° Stormo, Italy, extraction vehicle
UH-101A, 1° Grupelicot, Italy, extraction vehicle
Gulfstream E-550A, 14° Stormo, Italy, airborne mission coordination
Hkp.16a, 2. Hkpskv, Sweden, extraction vehicle
F-16AM, 312 Sqn, The Netherlands, external asset