Prague, Dec 19 (CTK) – Czech soldiers will take part in several exercises abroad in 2016 and the country will host two large ones with the participation of some 300 foreign troops and 30 allied aircraft in each, according to a schedule the Defence Ministry has provided for CTK.
The government will debate the complete list at its meeting on Monday.
The Czech military will send the biggest number of soldiers to the Brilliant/Noble Jump of NATO’s Spearhead Force aimed to check whether selected units are capable of moving to the site of deployment within the given deadline.
According to NATO´s plans, the deadline should be five to 30 days anywhere in the world.
The Czech military is ready to send up to 350 people to the exercise.
The soldiers are also to take part in a Visegrad Four (V4) exercise, Slovak Shield 2016, to be held based on a new emerging training strategy of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia that form V4.
The member countries are to take turns in hosting the exercise. The Czech Republic will host the training in 2019.
The exercise in Slovakia next year is to be participated in by 120 Czech soldiers. Besides the V4 countries, the Americans are also to take part in it.
Some 60 soldiers will train within the Khaan Quest exercise in Mongolia that aims to prepare commanders and specialists mainly from reconnaissance units for deployment in difficult climate conditions.
The participation in the exercise will be part of the preparation of the unit for the Mali mission.
L-159 pilots will take part in the Baltic Eye I exercise designed to prepare them for deployment within air supervision. It will be held four times a year, always one day in the air space of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Two L-159 aircraft will take part each time. The aircraft pilots will also take part in the Baltic Eye II exercise that is to train cooperation between the Czech and Lithuanian air forces in securing the protection of an air base and a determined air space.
This is a reaction to the developments along NATO´s eastern border and it is to reassure the allies of the validity of the collective defence commitment. The Czech Republic will send 32 soldiers and four L-159 aircraft to Lithuania.
One of the two NATO exercises to be held in the Czech Republic is the traditional Ample Strike, in which forward air controllers and the crews of the tactical and helicopter air forces train support for the ground forces.
The other is Clean Care 2016 in which medical units will train providing medical care in the elimination of the effects of mass destruction weapons.
ms/dr
