Press Release 13 June 2003

Press Releases on Exercise Co-operative Partner 2003 NATO EXERCISES WITH PARTNERS IN THE BLACK SEA 13 June 2003 - NATO’s annual maritime and amphibious exercise COOPERATIVE PARTNER 2003 (CP 03) will take place from 20 June until 05 July 2003 near Odessa, Ukraine, and in the Black Sea. Approximately 5,000 military personnel, over 43 ships and 17 aircraft from NATO and Partner nations, including NATO standing formations will train together in Humanitarian Assistance and Peace Support Operations. Forces from eight NATO nations: France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States of America, together with forces from six Partner nations: Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Romania and the Ukraine, and including NATO’s Standing Naval Force Mediterranean, Mine Countermeasures Force South, and NATO Southern Region Headquarters will participate in the exercise. The exercise objective is to provide support and relief to the civilian population and restore law and order after earthquakes and flooding. The exercise will include cooperation with local and international Non-Governmental Humanitarian Relief Organisations. The unique design of CP 03 exercises procedures and communications shows NATO’s ability to fully integrate assigned multinational Partner forces and allows an assessment of progress in interoperability. Formal assessment of NATO and Partner mine hunting capability will occur during the exercise. While assuring the required readiness of its own forces, NATO continues its priority of maintaining peace and stability through dialogue and co-operation, to include training with Partner nations. CP 03 is scheduled by the Regional Headquarters Allied Forces South Europe (RHQ AFSOUTH) responsible for NATO maritime operations in the Southern Region. It will be conducted by the Headquarters Allied Naval Forces South (HQ NAVSOUTH) and supported by the Headquarters Naval Striking and Support Forces South Europe (COMSTRIKFORSOUTH), a power projection and high-readiness maritime headquarters available to the NATO force structure. Submarine operations carried out as part of CP 03 will be controlled and coordinated by Commander, Submarine Black Sea (COMSUBBLACK) in support of COMNAVSOUTH.