28.06.2011.

Exercise "Joint Endeavour " held

In the Nis barracks "Knjaz Mihailo" a demo exercise “Join endeavour” was held yesterday in which members of the Serbian Army and the Interior Ministry showed the attained level of qualifications to support civil authorities in combating threats to security and performance of special-purpose tasks. The exercise was attended by Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac, Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, Serbian Army Chief of Staff Gen. Miloje Miletic, the mayor of Nis, Milos Simonovic, members of the Minister of Defence and Chief of General Staff personal staff, representatives of local authorities and many citizens of Nis.

Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac, on that occasion, said the exercise showed that the systems of defense and the Ministry of Internal Affairs system have become integrated into a common security system which is ready to respond to all challenges and threats. He expressed great satisfaction at seeing so many citizens present in the exercise, while announcing that similar exercises would be organized in other cities in Serbia.

According to him, this will be done to promote and popularize both the army and the police, which are both from security aspect systems of great importance for each country. He urged the public to attend the exercise “Diplomac” to be performed by the cadets of the Military Academy held at Pasuljanske livade training grounds on Thursday, 30 June

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic underlined that the cooperation of Ministry of Interior with the Ministry of Defense and the Army of Serbia was at a very high level. He stressed that at the exercise people can see the potential of the two ministries, adding that both forces demonstrated that they were capable and willing to defend the country.

According to him, the demonstration of the capabilities of the army and police, proved that they were prepared to ensure public order, fighting crime and terrorism and to protect personal and property safety. Dacic stressed that the two security systems - Serbian police and army proved able to act in joint operations.

Speaking about the Centre for Emergency Situations, Dacic said that it is a long-term project that should provide the European system of protection and rescue, and response in emergency situations.

The exercise was attended by more than 450 officers and soldiers of the Serbian Army Special Brigade, Third Brigade, the Guard, 98th and 204th Aviation Brigade, 250 anti air craft missile brigade, Signaling Brigade, Logistics Training center, special military police battalion "Cobra", 3rd Military Police Battalion and the 246th RBCD Battalion, while the Interior Ministry deployed 200 members of the Department for Emergency Situations, the gendarmerie, police brigade of Belgrade, traffic police, the Anti-Terrorist Unit, S special antiterrorist unit, helicopter units, police and cavalry units.

The aim of the exercises was that the Serbian Army and police, particularly those trained the tasks to confront internal threats to security, help demonstrate the ability to civilian structures in the fight against terrorism, separatism and organized crime and in the event of natural disasters, technical technological and other disasters.

This was, besides a demonstration of the capabilities, also a proof of the unity the unity of the army and police, which this year has already been proven in the execution of tasks in the security zone and in situations when the soldiers and police officers were engaged to help people during floods and earthquakes.

Exercise "Joint endeavor " began with the flight of aircraft MiG-29 fighter planes, to control and achieve dominance in the air space, during which the visitors were able to see effectiveness of action teams of Special Brigade anti terrorist units, the Gendarmerie and the Anti-Terrorist police units in urban areas involved in the hostage rescue operations from a moving vehicle. The audience's attention was drawn to see the performance of anti terrorist units and their acting on the mixed checkpoint in the event of opening fire, an official engagement of police dogs in a cardboard box to detect explosives and using a robot to carry explosives to a safe place where the explosive will be destroyed.

Preparedness of soldiers and police officers to provide assistance to civil structures in responding to natural and other disasters were best seen in segments with exercise segments involving firefighting helicopters from the air, using equipment for search and rescue operations and transport rescue people from the roof with the use of an air bag and of injured persons using hydraulic telescopic platforms from a multi-storey building.

The 246th Battalion CBRN teams and the Department for Emergency Situations Ministry of Interior demonstrated how they tackle consequences of technical and technological disasters, especially demonstrating skills in firefighting and rescue of the injured from means of transport.

For observers, however, the most attractive was the demonstration of direct effects of personality on the protected security threat manifested, during which members of the battalion of military police special purpose "Cobras" display the skill and ability to protect a person from the effects of manned from the crowd and respond to the fire.

Citizens of Nis after exercise were able to tour the exposed arms and equipment of the Army of Serbia and the MUP of Serbia and to see a large number of funds, weapons, military and police equipment.