THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION (NATO) RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL CONDUCT AN EXERCISE IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE (PFP) PROGRAMME CALLED COOPERATIVE LONBOW 08/ COOPERATIVE LANCER 08 (COLW/ COLR 08), IN ARMENIA, BETWEEN 29 SEPTEMBER AND 21 OCTOBER 2008.

THE AIM OF COLW/ COLR 08 IS TO IMPROVE THE INTEROPERABILITY OF NATO AND OTHER FORCES. THE EXERCISES WILL INVOLVE APPROXIMATELY 1100 SERVICE MEMBERS FROM OVERALL 21 NATIONS INCLUDING 7 NATO NATIONS, 12 PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE (PFP) NATIONS, AS WELL AS OTHER PARTNER NATIONS, AND ICI MEMBER UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. THE SCENARIO WILL BE BASED ON A UNITED NATIONS (UN) MANDATED NATO-LED CRISIS RESPONSE OPERATION (CRO). COLW/ COLR 08 WILL PROVIDE A VISIBLE DEMONSTRATION OF NATO’S ABILITY TO CONDUCT A COMPLEX AND DYNAMIC OPERATION AIMED AT THE INTEROPERABILITY OF NATO AND PARTNER FORCES. COLW/COLR ARE AIMED AT PROVIDING A GOOD BALANCE BETWEEN NATO’S TRAINING REQUIREMENTS AND PFP/ICI’S TRAINING NEEDS. NATO’S REAL-WORLD OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCES WILL BE INCORPORATED LIEUTENANT GENERAL ROLAND KATHER, COMMANDER ALLIED LAND COMPONENT COMMAND HEADQUARTERS HEIDELBERG WILL COMMAND COLW/ COLR 08.