ALLIED AIR COMPONENT COMMAND HEADQUARTERS RAMSTEIN

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE

EXERCISE BOLD AVENGER 2007 (BAR 07)

INITIAL EXERCISE PRESS RELEASE

22 AUGUST 2007

Exercise BOLD AVENGER 2007 (BAR 07) is a NATO live air exercise taking place at Ørland Main Air Station (MAS), Norway, during the period 3-14 September 2007, with live flying between 3-8 and 10-13 September 2007.

BAR 07 will involve air forces from 13 NATO member nations: Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

The exercise is designed to provide training opportunities for all participating units in tactical air operations in a joint training environment involving over 100 aircraft, including combat, tanker and airborne early warning aircraft and about 1,450 personnel.

The Commander, Allied Air Component Command Headquarters Ramstein, General William T. Hobbins, USA AF, will conduct BAR 07. The Exercise Director will be Major General Jac Jansen, NLD AF, the Exercise Co-Director will be Colonel Stig Nilsson, NOR AF.

The exercise area will be limited to Norway and specific parts of the North Sea. No exercise flying will take place on Sundays. Operations will take place during the daytime, and there will be some night flying during the period 10-12 September 2007. Aircraft will fly no lower than 350 feet above ground level in selected areas during the exercise.

Based upon a fictitious scenario within the NATO Response Force (NRF) concept, the exercise is designed to reflect incidents that could call upon the involvement of NATO. The goal of BAR 07 is to exercise and train tactics and procedures associated with the employment of air power in order to increase the proficiency and level of standardization and interoperability in the field of air operations.

NOTE FOR THE MEDIA:

An Allied Press Information Centre (APIC) will be operated at Ørland MAS during the period 1-14 September 2007.

Questions should be addressed to:

CC-Air HQ Ramstein, Public Information Office, Tel.: (+)49-(0)6371-402060, Fax (+)49-(0)6371-401093, Email: ccair.presse-NATO@web.de

Ørland MAS, Public Information Office, Tel.: (+)47-72512102, Fax (+)47-72512989, Email: mrosenlund@mil.no

Media representatives visiting form outside of Norway are recommended to plan any visits for the periods 3-9 and 10-13 September when live flying operations will be conducted.