13 Sept 2003

Practicing maritime operations with partners News 11/09/03 - AFSOUTH NATO exercises with Partners in the Adriatic Sea Links AFSOUTH website NATO’s biannual maritime exercise Cooperative Engagement 2003 is taking place from 13 to 20 September 2003 near Split, Croatia, and in the Adriatic Sea. As part of the exercise, more than 500 personnel, 14 ships and 4 aircraft from NATO and Partner countries will train together in mine countermeasures as well as search and rescue operations. The exercise is designed to test NATO's ability to integrate assigned multinational partner forces into joint operations. While assuring the required readiness of its own forces, NATO continues its priority of maintaining peace and stability through dialogue, co- operation and training with partner countries. Forces from four NATO member countries Belgium, France, Greece and Italy will join forces from invitee partner countries Bulgaria, Latvia, Romania and Slovenia, partner countries Albania, Croatia, Russia and Ukraine, and two Mediterranean partners, Algeria and Egypt.