20.05.2016.

Successful completion of the Platinum Wolf multinational exercise

The Distinguished Visitors Day today in the South Base and the Borovac training ground has concluded the Platinum Wolf 16 Multinational exercise, which gathered together more than three hundred members of the armies of seven countries in the last two weeks.

The exercise aimed to enhance interoperability and mutual understanding of the members of the armies of partner countries at the tactical level, training of the units in tactics, techniques and procedures during the implementation of tasks in peace support operations but also of support to civilian structures, as well as improving of training of units to work with the media in a multinational environment.

Members of the Serbian Armed Forces, with colleagues from Bosnia and Herzegovina,

Bulgaria, Macedonia, United States, Slovenia and Montenegro, first in preparation, and in the last three days also practically, successfully implemented topics related to "The tactics, techniques and procedures in multinational operations" according to various contents. They include: first aid, handling of improvised explosive devices, training on simulator of the virtual combat space, riot control, civil-military cooperation, the law in armed conflicts, public relations as well as the capabilities of non-lethal weapons.

The Distinguished Visitors Day, where some of the working points were presented, was attended by Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Jovica Draganic, Chief of the Training and Doctrine Command, Brigadier General Marinko Pavlovic, commander of the 4th Army Brigade, Brigadier General Zoran Lubura and representatives of the armed forces of the participating countries, including the US Deputy Ambassador in Belgrade, Gordon Dugud, as well as foreign military representatives accredited in the Republic of Serbia.

Congratulating the participants on successful completion of the task, the Deputy Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Jovica Draganic said that the Platinum Wolf 16 exercise in its content, character and extent of implementation, was one of the most complex in preparation for participation in peacekeeping operations, and that he is extremely happy that representatives of the armies of seven states jointly participated in it.

- Besides we did everything to be good hosts, this year it was for the first time that we were able to plan, organize and direct the activities – General Draganic said, adding that the participants showed a high degree of professionalism, achieved a common goal of practicing but also of mutual understanding during the exercise, which is a confirmation that working together brings excellent results and gives answers to the common challenges.

Expressing satisfaction over the successful completion of “a complex task", commander of the 4th Army Brigade, Brigadier General Zoran Lubura reminded that this is the third exercise of this type implemented in the past two years.

So far, two iterations of the Platinum Wolf exercise – 14th and 15th were realised, both two years ago. Members of the 4th Army Brigade participated in the Platinum Wolf 14 exercise with two platoons, with a platoon at the International exercise in Hohenfels in Germany, the same year, and this year – with one company.