Brigadier General Bachelard, OPS deputy at the Air Operations and Defense Command for France.

It has been specifically developed for the exercice.

General framework: a country asks the United Nations to send a force capable of conducting a peacekeeping operation.

The actors of the conflikt are two neighbouring contries: WESTON and ASPERIA.

Both states were part of the Rutinian Republic, until they seperated from it is 1990. They lived quite peacefully (Ceasefire treaty, July 1991 - Orleans) apart from tensions from ethnic minorities and frontier adjustment. The WESTON is a regional military power under control of a dictator, but economically weak.

ASPERIA is a developing democracy with viable economy and limited but well-equipped military force. A valuble ore, The TANTALITE, has been discovered in a fought-over area of the border. WESTON sees in it means to solve all its problems steeming from the global economic crisis the country has suffered from since year 2000, thus avoiding to enter a constraining of democratic reforms.

WESTON plotted a political and ethnic crisis through which it seize by force the coveted mining resources. ASPERIA reacted vigorously, but could not resist the more numerrous westnoian military forces.

The repressive policy of WESTON toward the ASPERIAN minority, combined with the out break of war on September 16 generated a flow of WESTONIAN refgees, coming from the  disputed area and flown the border areas where the small engagement are still going on.

The Asperian Gouvernment, believing the conflict can be peacefully settled, has asked the United-Nations to intervene. During several weeks, M.Planter, the United-Nations official unsuccesfully tried to come to a peace aggreement. He thus realised a contingent of several hundred of blue helmets would be necessary for the implementation for a future and fragile peace. The expansion of the conflict within its borders and the poor capablities of the NGOs to manage this crisis on the human level (too many refugees) have led the Asperian Gouvernement to call upon the Untited-Nations. A resolution determining the deployment of a combined force has therefore been voted. This force composed of NATO and PFP member countries is mandated to conduct operations to restore peace in ASTERIA.

Both co-directors of the exercise will have at their disposal various entities to conduct it. Only the main ones are presented hereafter.

THE DIRECTING STAFF (DISTAFF):

Its mission is to supervise the correct course of the exercise. Therefore, it is totally independent from the actors. It has a complete freedom of action and a free access to the information necessary to  conduct the exercise.

DISTAFF cannot judje or discuss the tactical solution chosen. A BATTLESTFF CELL is here to help it in its Supervision mission.

BATTLESTFF CELL:   In order to reach the main objectives

-  it brings unforeseen events and incidents in the scenario,

-  it simulates the participation of units, commands...,

-  it simulates the participation of an opposing force during the LIVEX.

In order to make the exercise look more real, DISTAFF can also simulate the participation of an external authority (civil population or CIMIC)

AIR OPERATION CENTER (AOC)

The Air Operations Center will be established in deployable modulare structures. It meets to main function: planning, follow-up and supervision of medeva aorborne and air missions. This organization make it possible to quickly adapt and respond to any tactical change.

The AOC primary mission is to ensure command and control for the entire air activity and to facilitate training during air missions.

To this and it elaborate Air Tasking Orders (ACO) and Special Instruktions (SPINS).

CURRENT OPS

-  Supervises the correct course of operations and there activity,

-  Monitors the position of each plane during air operations,

-  Reorients in a very short lengh of time air missions which are instrumental in the course of the campaign.

* DEFFENSIVE CELL

-  leads all the air defense opeartions

-  coordinates and transmits updating about fire zones targets, weather conditions, mission changes (AWACS).

-  immediatly relays all the requests for CAS or medical matters towards the operations center for action.

* OFFENSIVE CELL

-  leads all the fire support and reconnaissance poerations,

* PRCC / CSAR - TRANSPORT CELL

-  lead all the missions they are dedicated to (CAS-MEDIVAC-TRANSPORT OPERATIONS).

* AEROMEDICAL EVACUATIONS CONTROL CENTER (AECC)

- coordinates all the aeromedical operations with the Medical Control Center (MCC),

-  adapts medical operations to the capacity of aircraft,

-  assigns Medevav missions to the qualified medical personnel.

INTELLIGENCE CELL

-  daily brings information in to the CURRENT OPS ans OPS PLAN (which means to >>add<<some fictions events in order to evaluate the AOC CELL reaktion and consequentliy the reactivity of all parties taking parts in the exercise).

-  Analyses and suggests together with DISTAFF and CURRENT OPS the most appropriate actions to >>add<< in order to be as close possible to the initial scenario.

-  follow up and updates daily the political, military and tactical situation...,

-  participates and meets the intelligence requirements of the different level of the Command Structure and the units.

OPS PLAN Offensive/Defensive/AIRSPACE/SAR/Transport Cell

They are all in charge of the planning of the missions they are dedicted to according to the scenario of the exercise.

MEDICAL CENTER

It aims during the exercise, at training the medical personnel from NATO and other nations to develop their interoperability capacities different missions:

-  sorting and tratment of the wounded casualties,

-  partcipation in SAR missions.

The main objective of the exercise is to improve interoperability between NATO forces ans PFP (Partnership for Peace) nations forces within the frame of peacekeeping operations.

The objectives of France and the Air Force are the follows:

-  to ensure the logistical and operational support adapted to the scenario of the exercise

-  to take part in the training of PFP personnel to the use of NATO procedures.,

-  to confirm the interoperattibility of the French deployable command structures.