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(Tbilisi) – Exercise Cooperative Archer 2007 (COAR07) conducted at Alekseevka
Airbase near Tbilisi, Georgia, brings together NATO and Partner Nations to train
in a scenario that encompasses flooding and an earthquake necessitating air
delivery of disaster relief aid, SAR and medical evacuation of affected people,
who will be evacuated via a Georgian field hospital.
It took quite some effort by the
project officers, Major Trond Ertsgaard, NOR AF, and Major Michael Bohnstedt,
DNK AF, from Allied Air Component Command Headquarters Ramstein (CC-Air HQ
Ramstein) to put the challenging programme for COAR07 together. Major Ertsgaard
works in the Exercise Branch of the command and Major Bohnstedt works in the
Military Cooperation Branch, which manages CC-Air HQ Ramstein’s Partnership for
Peace, Mediterranean Dialogue and Istanbul Cooperation Initiative programmes.
“The exercise planning process
usually goes over one year,” says Major Ertsgaard. “Up to three years before an
exercise a nation should offer to host it. The selection of the Host Nation is
normally made at least two years before the exercise. But in the case of COAR07,
Georgia offered to be the Host Nation in December 2006, and in March 2007 the
confirmation of the Host Nation selection was finally received. This was a last
minute selection and put quite a heavy burden on all planners, both for the Host
Nation, participating Nations and NATO.”
In January 2007, CC-Air HQ
Ramstein conducted a site survey of the facilities in Georgia, and SHAPE
evaluated the offer until the end of March - just three months before the start
of COAR07.
“For many nations it is
increasingly challenging to host NATO exercises,” says Major Ertsgaard. “An
exercise requires a lot of effort and resources such as transport, housing and
provisions,” he explains, “and we must not forget that nations are already
heavily committed to actual operations such as ISAF, and also have to conduct a
number of other national and bilateral exercises.”
“It all started with the draft
invitation to the Initial Planning Conference (IPC) in March 2006,” says Major
Bohnstedt. “In June 2006 the IPC was conducted. The Main Planning Conference was
conducted in Tbilisi from 17 to 19 April 2007 and the Final Coordination
Conference (FCC) took place in Ramstein on 13 and 14 June 2007. With less than a
month to go, this was when last-minute issues had to be resolved.”
Major Bohnstedt’s job has been
to put together a workshop programme to train and prepare exercise participants
and to provide a lead-in to the exercise.
“The interest in the exercise
has nevertheless been tremendous,” Major Ertsgaard. “Some 20 nations signed up
for the IPC. As we speak, five NATO and a total of nine Partner Nations are
going through the workshop phase and will then train and exercise together
during the live-fly part of COAR07 from 16 to 19 July 2007.”
“The Georgians did a great job
in getting the exercise going,” says Major Ertsgaard. “They lived up to the
commitment as a Host Nation.” “And we must not forget that they had only five
months to do the job, instead of the twelve months that are normally available,”
adds Major Bohnstedt.
The
pictures show:
Picture 1 -
Flags of Exercise Cooperative Archer 2007
participating NATO and partner nations flying at the Alekseevka Air Base
compound.
Picture 2 (left) - Major Trond
Ertsgaard, NOR AF, CC-Air Ramstein
Exercise Branch, during the interview at Alekseevka Air Base, Tbilisi, Georgia.
Picture 3 (right) -
Major Michael Bohnstedt,
DNK AF,
CC-Air Ramstein Exercise Branch, during the interview at Alekseevka Air Base, Tbilisi, Georgia.
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