IMS Press Release 18 May 2001

Initial Exercise Press Release Exercise Cooperative Poseidon 2001 NATO announces Submarine Safety Exercise The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) announced today that a NATO/Partnership for Peace submarine safety exercise will be held later this year. COOPERATIVE POSEIDON is a seminar and computer-assisted exercise and will be conducted in two phases. Phase I, a seminar, will take place June 11-15, 2001 in Varna, Bulgaria. Phase II, the computer-assisted exercise, will be held in Bremerhaven, Germany from September 17-21, 2001. The overarching aim of the exercise is to adopt common safety procedures and understanding in order to minimise the risk of submarine accidents. During Phase I, participants will be introduced to NATO submarine safety doctrines and procedures. Phase II allows participating officers to practice these procedures through the execution of a real-time tactical simulation. Officers from six NATO nations, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey, as well as three Partner nations, Bulgaria, Romania and Sweden, will take part in this cooperative exercise. Representatives from the Mediterranean Dialogue countries, Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia have been invited to observe the exercise (attendance to be confirmed). For media only: - A press conference by Commander Submarines East Atlantic and the captain of the Bulgarian Submarine Squadron is planned. For further information please contact: Lt Cdr Eric Sneyd Capt Valentin Dimitrov Public Information Office Chief of Public Relations RHQ East Atlantic/HQ NAVNORTH Bulgarian Navy Northwood, Middlesex Varna HA6 3HP, England Bulgaria   Phone: + 44 1923 843763/843746 Phone: +359 52 552 011 Fax: + 44 1923 843762 Fax: +359 52 603 259 E-mail: pio@eastlant.nato.int E-mail: bnf@bta.bg