SPLIT, Oct 4 (Hina) - Seaborne and airborne attacks on the island of Zirje and Kaprije in the Sibenik archipelago, with anti-terrorist combats on Friday marked the successful completion of a four-day combined military exercise -
"Adriatic Phiblex 2002" by US and Croatian forces in the central Adriatic.
SPLIT, Oct 4 (Hina) - Seaborne and airborne attacks on the island of
Zirje and Kaprije in the Sibenik archipelago, with anti-terrorist
combats on Friday marked the successful completion of a four-day
combined military exercise - "Adriatic Phiblex 2002" by US and
Croatian forces in the central Adriatic. #L#
More than two thousand US forces in three amphibian ships of the 6th
Fleet - Massau, Toruduga and Austin with the Cobra and Harrier jet
planes were involved in the four-day manoeuvre.
About 250 Croat forces with from the "Kralj Dmitar Zvonimir" and
"Sibenik" gunboats and other vessels of the Croatian Navy, military
police, intelligence services, divers, and members of the 1st Guard
Brigade of the Croatian Army as well as MI-8 helicopters from the
Croatian Airforce also participated in the exercise.
Recognition for the successfully completed exercise by Croat and US
forces was expressed by Croatian Deputy Defence Minister Zlatko
Gareljic.
This exercise is important for Croatia because it confirms that the
strategic partnership between Croatia and the USA is growing into
an alliance which means mutual ties on the path for Croatia to
access NATO, Gareljic said.
He evaluated the involvement of the military police as significant
in preparation for possible participation in a peace mission to
Afghanistan.
The 1st Guard brigade - popularly known as the Tigers - is training
to be prepared for duties within the Partnership for Peace
programme, he added.
The exercise was observed by high ranking military officials as
well as military envoys from the USA, Russia, Turkey and Poland.
(hina) sp sb