24 June 2002

Exercise Cooperative Safeguard 2002 Rescue specialists from five NATO and nine partner countries are participating in a humanitarian exercise, Cooperative Safeguard 2002, from 24 June to 1 July 2002 in Iceland. The aim of this biennial exercise is to foster greater interoperability between NATO member and partner forces in responding to humanitarian disasters in the North Atlantic. Approximately 250 participants from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, and the United States (NATO members), and from Austria, Estonia, Ireland, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine and Uzbekistan (NATO partners) will practice combined humanitarian relief techniques, communication strategies and search and rescue procedures as they respond to a fictitious volcanic eruption. The Government of Iceland and the Icelandic Civil Defence Department are also taking part. The exercise is being conducted by Commander-in-Chief East Atlantic (CINCEASTLANT) in conjunction with Island Command Iceland (ISCOMICELAND).