MILITARY EXERCISE 'DYNAMIC RESPONSE 98' STARTS

( Editorial: --> 2011 ) PLOCE, March 24 (Hina) - The two-week military exercise "Dynamic Response 98" officially started on Tuesday. The exercise started with a press conference held by NATO's Deputy Commander for Europe, United States General Jeremy MacKenzie, and the presentation of military equipment and the level of readiness of Stabilisation Force (SFOR) strategic reserves on the US aircraft carrier WASP. The ship is positioned in Croatian territorial waters, about 20 km from the Ploce port. The purpose of the exercise is to show the deployment ability of SFOR strategic reserves and the commitment of SFOR and NATO to the implementation of the Dayton agreement. Following the arrival of several dozen Bosnian, Croatian and foreign reporters by an American helicopter on the aircraft carrier, SFOR multinational strategic reserves, including US marines, showed the operation of landing amphibian craft for unloading equipment and people, as well as an infantry helicopter- borne attack and a supersonic flight of a Sea Harrier plane. After the demonstration, various equipment and weapons such as helicopters, light artillery, anti-tank and infantry weapons as well as equipment for mine removal and a video simulation of an infantry attack were presented in the cargo bay of the ship, which has the carrying capacity of about 40,000 tonnes. After General MacKenzie's press conference, reporters also visited a smaller Italian warship, San Giusto, which is participating in the exercise along with WASP and five other warships of countries which are part of the SFOR strategic reserves. The military exercise continues tomorrow with the disembarking of units in the Ploce port, from where they will set out by road towards Bosnia-Herzegovina. (hina) mm rm /mb 241709 MET mar 98