25.10.2013.

International Special Forces Exercise "Eagle 2013" Completed

International special forces exercise of Balkan countries "Eagle 2013" with participation of members armed forces of Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro ended today at "Oresac" shooting range.

Over the past five days, more than 100 members of special forces from partner countries have drilled the anti-terrorist actions with their colleagues from the Special Brigade of the Serbian Armed Forces.

Joint exercise of special units of the Balkan countries was first held last year in Macedonia, and next year it will be hosted by Turkey.

Final day of the exercise "Eagle 2013" was attended by Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff General Ljubisa Dikovic with his associates and representatives of the participating countries. Addressing the members of the Special Forces he said that they had demonstrated their readiness to jointly solve complex combat assignments.

- The largest benefit from this exercise is trust, understanding, readiness to cooperate among you which will certainly contribute to greater security in the region – General Dikovic said expressing the hope that members of the Serbian Armed Forces were good hosts. He congratulated all the participants in the exercise on the demonstrated capabilities, and to the Land Forces Command and Special Brigade Command on the "appropriately planned, prepared, organized and conducted exercise".

On the last day of the exercise specialists from eight countries showed capability, in spite of differences, to solve in a synchronized manner very complex anti-terrorist action in which they used live ammunition. Each unit used its own weapons, and members of the Turkish Armed Forces used also their own combat helicopters such as "Black Hawk". The exercise consisted of parachute landing, action of sniper teams, anti-terrorist combat in built-up areas, engaging the fixed object, ambushes, recovery and neutralizing explosive devices and evacuation of casualties. Exercise symbolically ended with joint parachute jump with the flags of the participating countries.