Multinational Engineer Battalion Tisa Explained

Dates:	November 15, 2002
Country:	Ukraine, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia
Branch:	Land Forces
Type:	Engineer Battalion
Role:	Response to natural disasters
Size:	703^[1]
Garrison:	Hajdúhadház Vynohradiv^[2] Satu Mare^[3] Sereď^[4]
Nickname:	Tisza, Tisa
Equipment:	6 PTS-2

Multinational Engineer Battalion Tisa (Багатонаціональний Інженерний Батальйон “Тиса”, Hungarian: "Tisza" Többnemzeti Műszaki Zászlóalj, Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Batalionului Multinaţional de Geniu "Tisa", Slovak: Mnohonárodný Ženijný Рrápor "Tisa") is an engineering unit intended to quickly respond to flooding and other natural disasters in the Carpathian Region. Initial idea for creation of such unit was voiced by Ukraine in December 1998. Battalion was created on November 15, 2002 after Heads of General Staff of Hungarian, Romanian, Slovak and Ukrainian Armed Forces signed the Technical Arrangement on Implementation of Intergovernmental Agreement on Multinational Engineer Battalion Tisa in Budapest.^[5] The name comes from river Tisza.

Annual exercise is held by participating nations, who take turns hosting the exercise. Exercise is held under the name Light Avalanche. First exercise was held in Ukraine in 2002 as Tysa-2002.^{[6] [7]}

Host nation	Years in which exercise took place
Hungary	2003, 2007, 2011
Romania	2004, 2008, 2012
Slovakia	2005, 2009, 2013
Ukraine	2002, 2006, 2010, 2014

Structure

Each participating country provides up to 200 soldiers. In January 2012 total size was 703. Ukrainian part is from the 128th Mechanized Brigade.^[8] Hungary provides soldiers from 5th Infantry Brigade^[9] and the 37th Engineering Regiment^[10] Romania provides 52nd Engineering Battalion "TISA".Slovakia provides a company from Engineer Battalion in Sereď.

• Headquarters Company (10 representatives from each country)^{[11] [12]}
• Ukrainian Engineering Company "інженерна рота"
• Ukrainian Road Engineering Company "інженерно-дорожня рота"
• Ukrainian Signal Platoon "взвод зв’язку"
• Ukrainian Repair Platoon "ремонтний взвод"
• Ukrainian Logistics Platoon "взвод матеріального забезпечення"
• Romanian Engineering Company
• Romanian Engineering Company
• Hungarian Engineering Company "műszaki század"
• Slovakian Engineering Company "ženijná technická rota"

Equipment

60 units including 6 PTS-2^[13]

Sources

«Light avalanche 2014», report of ТРК «Виноградів ТВ».

Notes and References

1. Web site: TISA Battalion: Lead Nation Role Transferred. Ministry of Defence of Hungary. 8 August 2013.
2. Web site: How is the reform of the army?. Vynohradiv.Info. Tkach. Lyubov. 8 August 2013. uk. https://web.archive.org/web/20140318215040/http://vynohradiv.info/component/content/article/1291. 18 March 2014. dead.
3. Web site: History of the 52nd Engineering Battalion "TISA". 10th Engineer Brigade. 8 August 2013. ro.
4. Web site: Training and exercises. 13 August 2013. sl.
5. Web site: Ukrainian militaries participate in Light Avalanche 2012 multinational exercis. Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. 8 August 2013.
6. Web site: PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL MILITARY EXERCISES. Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. 8 August 2013.
7. Exercise of Multinational Battalion Tisa . 2002 . . 86 . 2257 . 1. uk.
8. Web site: In Kiev, a solemn ceremony of transfer of authority to the chairmanship of multinational Ukrainian-Hungarian-Romanian-Slovak Engineer Battalion "Tisa" from Ukrainian to Hungarian side. Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. 8 August 2013. uk. https://web.archive.org/web/20140318212938/http://www.mil.gov.ua/index.php/index.php?lang=ua&part=news&sub=read&id=204144. 18 March 2014. dead.
9. Web site: Excellent Hour exam Tisza Battalion. Galambos . Sándor . Ministry of Defence of Hungary. 22 September 2011. 8 August 2013. hu.
10. Web site: "Tisza-2011" exercise. SzentesInfo. 7 June 2011. 8 August 2013. hu.
11. Web site: STRUCTURE OF THE ROMANIAN PART OF MULTINATIONAL ENGINEER BATTALION "TYSA" WILL BE DEFINED DURING COMMAND AND STAFF EXERCISES IN UKRAINE. defense-ua.com. 9 February 2011. 8 August 2013.
12. Web site: Steps for conducting a future Romanian-Slovak-Hungarian-Ukrainian exercise "Light Avalanche 2003" Multinational Engineer Battalion "Tisa" participants have agreed during main planning conference held in Hungary. Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. 12 June 2003. 8 August 2013. uk.
13. Web site: For the first time a multinational engineering battalion "Tisa" acted in full force. kolomyya web portal. 1 October 2010. 8 August 2013. uk.