IMS Press Release 18-Apr-2001

Exercise Adventure Express/Dynamic Response 2001 NATO Reserve Forces Exercise in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Albania Approximately 1,500 troops from six NATO and Partner nations, and Argentina will participate in an exercise involving the Strategic Reserve Force as part of the NATO-led operations in the Balkans, from April 27, to May 10, 2001. The exercise, called ADVENTURE EXPRESS / DYNAMIC RESPONSE 2001 (AE/DR 01), will start with a preliminary training phase in Albania and take place in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. NATO and Partner Strategic Reserve units will arrive in both SFOR and KFOR theatres as part of each respective commander's force to support the ongoing Peace Support Operations. The Strategic Reserve Force, which is as an integral part of the SFOR and KFOR operational mandate, is a multi-national, highly professional force with a wide range of military capabilities - including light and airborne infantry, amphibious, air mobile, armour, artillery and air attack capability. It is designed to be a mobile, versatile force to augment in-theatre forces and to deal with any military contingency. This year, ADVENTURE EXPRESS / DYNAMIC RESPONSE combines two annual exercises and will practise and validate operational concepts, and familiarise units with terrain and environment. The exercise shows NATO's and the international community's strong resolve and commitment to maintain peace and stability in the overall Balkans region. Units will arrive by air, sea and land routes, arriving in theatre fully mission-capable and logistically self-sustaining. They will be swiftly integrated into the command and control structures of the Multi-national Divisions in SFOR and the Multi-national Brigades in KFOR, as an integral part of COMKFOR's and COMSFOR's in place forces performing a variety of missions, such as manning checkpoints, or conducting routine patrols. For the first time in this exercise cycle, Italian, Argentinean and US troops are going to pre-deploy to Albania to train with Albanian troops. This will deepen NATO's partnership with Albanian forces and will contribute to increased inter-operability with those forces. The exercise will be coordinated by ALLIED FORCES SOUTHERN EUROPE (AFSOUTH), which is NATO's Operational Headquarters responsible for the Balkan Operations, and controls both multi-national NATO Headquarters in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo, SFOR and KFOR. For more information: The current Press Information Centres in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo will handle all requests for this exercise. From 27 April until 29 May 2001 a Sub-Press Information Centre will be established in Tirana, Albania. Media questions prior to the start of the exercise should be addressed to the Public Information Office ALLIED FORCES SOUTHERN EUROPE - (AFSOUTH): Maj J. DESCHARD, Media Branch; Viale della Liberazione s/n, 80124 Naples, Italy; Telephone: +39 081 721 2437; Fax +39 081 230 2791.