Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 11
By Elena Kosolapova - Trend:
The first stage of the Steppe Eagle 2016 international tactical peacekeeping exercises kicked off in the Ili military range in Almaty region of Kazakhstan on April 11, the ministry of defense of Kazakhstan said.
More than 60 peacekeepers from the US and the UK took part in the event together with Kazakh peacekeeping battalion Kazbat.
During the first phase of the military drill, the participants will exchange experience on procedures of work of staff of the battalion, tactical communications, operations of engineering and demining groups, medical care and evacuation, obtaining certification for water purification, and other.
The second phase of the exercise will be held in the UK. Some 250 soldiers of Kazbat will take part in the second stage. The Steppe Eagle-2014 was held in Germany with participation of more than 150 soldiers of the armed forces of Kazakhstan.
The "Steppe Eagle" exercises have been held annually since 2003. They are designed to check the ability of peacekeepers to perform complex tasks as a part of multinational forces and under a unified command. Annually, exercises involve more than 1,500 people as well as military observers from foreign states, experts from various NATO headquarters and military-diplomatic corps accredited in Kazakhstan.