2-12 Dec. 2003

Exercise Viking 03 Links Exercise Viking 03 A computer assisted exercise is taking place at the Uppland Regiment, Enköping, Sweden, 2- 12 December. The aim of Exercise Viking 03 is to improve cooperation between civilian, police and military forces within peace support operations and to develop the Peace Mission Simulation Network. More specifically, it is helping to show the possibilities with computer assisted training and distributed peace operation exercises, as well as promoting communication and information between NATO partner and member countries. Exercise Viking 03 is a follow-up to exercises Viking 99 and 01, which were also organised by Sweden, in the spirit of Partnership for Peace. This year's event has been opened up to NATO participants for the very first time. The exercise is making use of Advanced Distance Learning facilities and is focusing on a scenario that involves the fictitious federation of Bogaland, a country just recovering from a civil war. It has natural resources, but is suffering from economic and religious tensions, as well as interference from neighbouring countries. The exercise replicates a UN-mandated NATO-led peace support operation. Participants come from approximately 20 different NATO and partner countries, and for the purpose of the exercise are mainly based in Enköping in the vicinity of Stockholm and in remote sites participating over the Internet (Estonia, Ireland, Romania and Uzbekistan). A number of organisations are participating in the exercise such as Amnesty International, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.