KYIV. Feb 14 (Interfax-AVN) - Reconnoitering of the area of a forthcoming NATO exercise has been held in Ukraine, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
The Cooperative Adventure Exchange 2002 tactical exercise of quick-response forces is to take place at the Yavorovo training ground of the Ukrainian Land Forces' Western operational command in October 2002, the spokesman told Interfax-Military News Agency.
The reconnoitering party consisted of 26 officers from 14 NATO member nations and countries involved in the Partnership for Peace program. The party led by Major General Oleksandr Kosenko, deputy head of the Western command, studied conditions of the forthcoming training that can be offered by Ukraine's International Peacekeeping Training Center.
The nations participating in the training will deploy headquarters of nine battalions and field camps of their units at the Yavorovo ground in the course of the exercise.
The Yavorovo ground will host the final conference on the exercise's planning from July 2 to 4, 2002. The main planning conference is underway and will end on Friday.
The war games are expected to involve some 5,000 servicemen, up to 600 vehicles and army aviation of the NATO Allied Forces and the Ukrainian Air Force.