http://www.eucom.mil/Directorates/ECPA/News/index.htm?http://www.eucom.mil/Directorates/ECPA/News/main.htm&2

COMBINED ENDEAVOR - 03 IN FULL SWING

For More Information contact
Combined Information Bureau
CAPT Chris Miller
49-67836-7931, Baumholder, GE

On a hilltop above Baumholder, Germany, flags representing more than 35 nations snap in the wind as the 9th Annual COMBINED ENDEAVOR exercise workshop got underway, May 8, 2003. The yearly U.S. European Command sponsored event is designed to bring NATO and Partnership for Peace nations together to plan and execute as well as to identify and document communications and information (CIS) interoperability between these nations' strategic and tactical communications systems.

"Interoperability is the result of hard work," said Lt.Col. James Hogle, CE-03 exercise director. "It's an outstanding opportunity for nations to improve their ability to support deployed forces, solve interoperability problems and build relationships."

COMBINED ENDEAVOR 2003 provides a platform for nations to keep pace with technology and serves as a forum for the discussion of global CIS issues. Each annual interoperability exercise builds on the CIS capabilities documented and lessons learned from previous years' exercises.

The near term goals are to test and document CIS interoperability, explore and resolve management issues within multinational networks, and build experience and knowledge in CIS planning among participating nations. Test messages in multiple languages are being sent from tent to tent across Lager Aulenbach and to remote locations around the world.

The overall objective is to develop an integrated Interoperability Guide to assist planners in deploying nations' equipment to interoperate in a combined network. Once documented,
deployment will be with known parameters and assurance, a tremendous achievement towards
readiness. The two week exercise allows for the development of low cost solutions to interoperability shortfalls and the development of future procurement requirements.

Germany is again hosting COMBINED ENDEAVOR 2003 at Lager Aulenbach in Baumholder, Germany from 8-22 May 2003. This is the fifth year they have welcomed NATO and PfP countries to their German army post. .

More than 1,000 military and civilian personnel representing more than 35 nations are on location at Lager Aulenbach. Participating nations include: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, United Kingdom and the United States. Also participating is South-Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG) and a delegation from NATO. This year a small delegation from South Africa is observing CE-03 for future development of a similar exercise for Africa. Portugal is also serving as an observer.

With the 10th Anniversary of COMBINED ENDEAVOR just a year away, the "Way Ahead" is a move away from switch driven static, stovepipe, open environment, to an integrated secure, coalition WAN planning and testing network CENTRIXS test environment.

COMBINED ENDEAVOR is the premiere C4 Partnership for Peace program. Continued cooperation by the COMBINED ENDEAVOR partnership will result in solutions to interoperability and the achievement of technical goals.

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