A pair of helicopters hugs the terrain on approach to the objective, the pilots flying through the darkness as low as they can. The flight route has been selected so they remain undetected until the very last moment. Shortly before reaching the landing zone, the machines briefly gain height, then come to a rapid stop as the landing skids contact the top of a shipping container with a light crunch.
Soldiers from the Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK, Special Forces Command) quickly egress the helicopters’ cabins. The only visible sign of the action is the green glow of the soldiers’ night-vision goggles reflected on their faces. Under the cover of darkness, the rest of the exercise is carried out in secrecy. This action took place in the ‘exercise town’ of Schnöggersburg, located in the Altmark military training ground in eastern Germany.