"ZDRZALKA 2019" International Competition for Paratroopers

Several NATO Nations challenge each other in Poland with air force units

​The unit of "Savoia Cavalleria" Regiment (3rd) which took part in the 2019 edition of the "Zdrzalka" military race from 10 to 14 September, returned from Poland.

The International competition, entitled to Brigadier General Marian Zdrzalka and held at the headquarters of the 6th Paratrooper Brigade of the Polish Army in Krakow, is a tradition of the Polish air force units. Every year, members of different NATO Nations and several Polish units, including the Military Academy, partecipate in this important competition.

The “Savoia Cavalleria”, on behalf of "Folgore" Brigade, challenged with Czech, Canadian and Dutch paratrooper units. The competition was based on 3 complex tests, designed and structured to highlight the physical and technical characteristics that the minor paratroopers unit must necessarily possess.

In the first trial the paratroopers was involved in a airdrop from the CASA C-295 aircraft on the Biesko Biala Drop Zone, by carrying out a “reordering in time” and then an orienteering march, covering 10 km on varied terrain. The second trial involved the use of individual weapons used by the Polish paratroopers and the overcoming of a regulatory obstacle course with some additional difficulties: the five members of the team had to face the obstacles, linked to each other on the right ankle, transporting some equipment.

The race “Commando” on the distance of 11 km, with about 30 obstacles, both natural and artificial, represented the third and final test of the international competition. The "Savoia Cavalleria" won the second place among the international units and reached the ninth place in the general classification.


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