02.11.2011.

Shield 01, first national evaluation exercise

At the base "Jug" near Bujanovac the first Serbian national evaluation exercise, Level 1 with the aim to evaluate the concept of operational capabilities is being held this week.

The exercise entitled "Shield 01" is attended by State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Zoran Jevtic, CHOD General Miloje Miletic, and commanders of the Serbian Army branches and brigades and other guests.

The exercise, managed by Colonel Nicholas Zulovic, is being carried out to evaluate a declared company, a Military Police platoon and RCBD platoon, during which the members of these units showed that they were ready to use standardized procedures that are adopted through training.

330 members of both SAF branches took part in the exercise, and the bearer of the preparation and organization was army command.

Addressing the participants and observers of the exercise, the Chief of General Staff General Miloje Miletic said that the units declared for participation in multinational operations today presented a high level of competence.

- For the first time we have carried out such an exercise, using a distinctive model applied in all the armies in the modern world to check the preparedness of units for multinational operations. It is important that the military base Jug has finally been used for its main purpose and that is for the preparation of our and as we, it will be used for preparation of soldiers of partner countries to participate in multinational operations. We expect the evaluation to be favorable and that our units can proceed to the next level of training and evaluation of tasks, training and work in an international environment, concluded that General Miletic.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence dr Zoran Jevtic pointed out that today's exercise is a good example of how the base "JUG" can be used in the proper use and functional terms.

- In the coming period we will, in accordance with previously adopted development plan, upgrade the necessary infrastructure of the base, adapt "Vrtogos" shooting range and in 5-7 years’ time we hope to have a modern center, complying with all standards that exist in Europe. Therefore we will start with the needs of the Serbian Army hoping to build a regional center one day, and possibly in future used by Partnership for Peace signatories. Certainly here we have the capacity not only for the Army of Serbia, but to engage civilian experts who would be involved in peacekeeping operations. It is clear that the base has to live, so it can be further developed with a vested interest to invest in it, as State Secretary Jeftic said.

Today’s exercise was evaluated by evaluators from the Serbian Army, reinforced by officers from partner countries, Sweden, Germany and France, based on a list of pre-prepared questions and applying the methods of observation and interviews.

AT the "Borovac" shooting range many activities and procedures were shown, such as base security, blocking and search of the base, activities at a checkpoint or intervention of a unit for decontamination.

The first level of operational capability entails a concept of interoperability, which means the elements are interdependent, such as organization, structure, equipment, training and development, and are always being carried out through practice in the field.

Fifteen countries in the program "Partnership for Peace" that have adopted the concept of operational capabilities, so far have 85 declared units with over 13,000 soldiers.