Distinguished Visitor Day at “Slavic Brotherhood 2019“ Exercise
Monday, 24.6.2019 | Training
- The “Slavic Brotherhood” is an exercise that has shown that the Serbian Armed Forces are at the level of the best equipped and renowned Armed Forces in the world. Members of the Special Brigade of the Serbian Armed Forces have demonstrated that they are capable of doing everything that the special units of the Russian Federation and Belarus are, and it is difficult to find a greater compliment and a greater challenge than that – said Minister Vulin on the Senior Commanders Day at the “Slavic Brotherhood 2019” exercise, held today at the Kovin Airport.
Minister Vulin also pointed out that it is of utmost importance for the Serbian Armed Forces to practice and participate in exercises with the Armed Forces that are among the best in the world, and from whom there is something to learn and improve in the field of tactics, equipping and skills.
- The Serbian Armed Forces are equipping, arming, training, and for that reason exercises such as “Slavic Brotherhood” are so important to us. This exercise is not just a military exercise, this is a gathering of brotherly nations who understand, who respect, who love each other – said the Minister of Defense.
He went on to say that the Serbian Armed Forces and the state leadership firmly adhere to the rules and parliamentary decisions on military neutrality, but that does not mean that they cannot have the closest possible and most firm relations with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and Belarus.
- Thanks to the policy of the President of the Republic of Serbia and Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces, Aleksandar Vučić, neither Serbia nor Serbian Armed Forces are alone. We have friends. The terrible moment of our history in 1999, when we found ourselves completely alone, will never again be repeated. We are no longer alone. We have friends from whom we can learn, and who can also learn from us. The Serbian Armed Forces, our experience and our people, above all, are worthy of every respect and valuable teachers – said Minister Vulin.
On behalf of the leadership of the exercise, the Commander of the Special Brigade of the Serbian Armed Forces, Brigadier General Miroslav Talijan pointed out that the exercise “Slavic Brotherhood” has its semi-anniversary since this is the fifth year in a row that the exercise is taking place and the third time that the host is the Special Brigade of the Serbian Armed Forces.
- Personnel participating in the exercise have demonstrated their skills and ability to perform the most complex tasks in antiterrorist operations. Today you have had the opportunity to see brilliantly performed parachute jumps during a special airborne landing, landing of weapons and military equipment from the aircraft, and finally a parachute landing with a round dome. The crown of the exercise was the main blow against the terrorist forces at the Kovin airport – said General Talijan, pointing out that the participants of the exercise are not only brothers in blood and weapons, but that their constitution is a crown diamond of its kind, that people with extraordinary moral values are characterized by.
Deputy Chief of Staff of the Russian Airborne Troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Major General Alexey Vasilievich Naumec said that the exercise has become a solid tradition for militaries of the three countries to prepare and train for the defense of their respective countries. He said that the first stage of the exercise was decision-making for combat missions, while the other – demonstrated today, was a joint landing and destruction of enemies at the airport, and that in the third stage, which is to follow, a part with live shooting will be demonstrated. As a particular curiosity he pointed out that on one plane there was a mixed airborne landing team of 25 people from the Russian and Serbian Special Units, who successfully demonstrated the ability to work together.
The impression of the Deputy Commander of the Special Operations Force of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, Colonel Vladimir Vladimirovich Belya, who participated in the first “Slavic Brotherhood” exercise, is that this year’s exercise is more intense and interesting. Thanking the host for a good reception, Colonel Belya wished success to all participants in the exercise and welcome all to Belarus for the next year’s exercise.
The exercise “Slavic Brotherhood 2019”, implemented by the Special Brigade of the Serbian Armed Forces, the Airborne Landing Troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, in coordination with the units of the Land Forces and Air Force and Air Defence of the Serbian Armed Forces, is scheduled between 14 and 27 June 2019 at Kovin Airport and military complexes “Orešac” and “Peskovi”.
The exercise includes 750 participants, and 21 modern combat-armored vehicles, 19 vessels, 11 aircraft, as well as three systems of unmanned aircraft have been engaged. The “Slavic Brotherhood” is implemented with the aim of training of unit commands for the execution of missions in Special Forces operations, as a tactical exercise with live shooting, multinational, joint, multistage, one-way exercise, on the topic: Multinational forces in counterterrorism operation.
Minister of the Interior, Nebojsa Stefanović, Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, General Milan Mojsilović, Commandant of the Land Forces, Lieutenant General Milosav Simović, Commandant of the Air Force and Air Defence, Major General Duško Žarković, Commandant of the Guards, Major General Milomir Todorović, Deputy Commander of the Joint Operations Command, Major General Ilija Todorov, Chief of the Cabinet of the Minister of Defense, Brigadier General Siniša Kresović, Director of the Military Intelligence Agency, Brigadier General Zoran Stojković, Director of the Police, Vladimir Rebić, Commandant of the Special Anti-terrorist Units, Colonel Spasoje Vulević, representatives of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, as well as foreign military envoys were also present at the Senior Commander Day at the Kovin airport.
Today’s demonstration for Senior Commanders was led by the Deputy Commander of the Special Brigade, Colonel Siniša Stašević, and the Deputy Commander of 63 Parachute Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Stojanović.
