NATO conducts exercises in Czech Republic

A NATO exercise called Nobel Jump was held in the town of Chrudim in the Czech Republic, it was reported Thursday.
"The exercise is designed to examine the activation, planning to deploy some functionality and command, control and support that are needed to drive to go out and perform tasks as ordered," Czech Deputy Chief of Staff Jiri Baloun was quoted as saying.
Miroslav Hlavac, commander of the Rapid Deployment Brigade, said that the exercise involves more than 200 soldiers and 80 pieces of military equipment.
Some 150 Czech soldiers from the 43rd Parachute Battalion joined the NATO exercise. A similar exercise was held in the Netherlands at an air base in Eindhoven at the same time.
The training is the first part of Exercise Noble Jump, the second part will continue in June in Zagan in western Poland. There will be a simulated crisis to test the capacity of the deployment of allied troops from Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and the Czech Republic.
The creation of a rapid deployment force to the Alliance members was agreed last September.