COOPERATIVE LONGBOW / LANCER -2008 NATO EXERCISE KICKS OFF IN YEREVAN SEPT. 29
PanARMENIAN.Net
26.09.2008 17:08 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On Monday 29th of September, 2008, in the Military
Academy of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, under
the framework of NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) and Istanbul
Cooperation Initiative (ICI), will be launched the international
exercise Cooperative Longbow / Lancer -2008 (COLW/COLR-08). The
exercise is being staged in Armenia until 20th October, 2008, the RA
Defense Ministry’s press office reported.
A press conference, will take place at 12:00, 29th September, followed
by the opening ceremony of the exercise. The Minister of Defense of
the Republic of Armenia Seyran Ohanyan and the Deputy Commander of
the Allied Land Component Command Headquarters Heidelberg, Lieutenant
General Jack Gardner, will attend at Opening ceremony.
Involving approximately 900 troops from NATO, PfP, and ICI nations,
the exercise will provide an opportunity for the participants to learn
how to work together within the framework of a NATO-led operation.
The exercise scenario is based on a United Nations (UN) mandated
NATO-led Crisis Response Operation involving the evacuation of
non-combatant civilians, counter-terrorist activities and stabilization
operations.
The exercise Cooperative Longbow/Lancer 2008 will provide the
opportunity to improve interoperability between NATO and partner
forces inside a Crisis Response Scenario. The exercise will include a
command post exercise employing a multinational brigade headquarters
and a field exercise involving a multinational battalion. Over the
past year the Government and Armed Forces of Armenia have done a
superb job in preparing to serve as this year’s host, and NATO looks
forward to a great exercise.
The annual Partnership for Peace exercises, which regularly occur in
the autumn, are a proven instrument for NATO to involve interested
nations in a well tailored training event aimed at harmonizing common
procedures. Armenia was chosen to host the exercise in 2007.