NATO ALLIED AIR COMMAND: Started as a Partner, now an Ally – Montenegro in exercise Adriatic Strike

RAMSTEIN, Germany - A Montenegrin SA 341 Gazela helicopter twoship is participating in the Slovenian-led international exercise Adriatic Strike. This is the third time in the last years that Montenegro has joined the important Joint Tactical Attack Controller or JTAC exercise as a member of NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme. The chopper crew led by First Lieutenant Boško Kuveljić flies out of Cerklje ob Krki Air Base southwest of the Slovenian Capital of Ljubljana and simulates Close Air Support missions during this Air-Land-Integration exercise.

"It is great to be back here once again and to work with Allies and Partners,” said First Lieutenant Kuveljić. "Our Slovenian hosts did a great job in putting together a real challenging training environment with ample opportunities for us to contribute. It is important for our team to learn from cooperating with other nations. A Romanian JTAC requesting support for a Slovenian army platoon calling in our MNE chopper for air support – this is what explains the international dimension of coordination and cooperation.”

When the exercise finishes on June 10, Montenegro will be NATO’s 29th member. The country formally acceded to the Alliance on June 5 by depositing the official documents in Washington. This marks the end of the eleven-year-long process in which Montenegro has deepened its relationship with NATO and conducted its Membership Action Plan. Events such as this multinational Slovenian-hosted exercise Adriatic are building blocks at the military tactical level which helped the country to pursue and see through their membership aspirations.

Story by Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office