Exercise “Sava Star“
The international military exercise “Sava Star 17“, conducted by the Croatian Armed Forces and the UK Armed Forces was presented in the Training Range “Crvena Zemlja” near Knin on 19 September 2017
in the attendance of the Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Damir Krstičević, the UK Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia, H. E. Andrew Dalgleish, the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Drago Matanović and other officials of the Croatian Ministry of Defence, the Croatian Armed Forces and the United Kingdom.
The Exercise “Sava Star 17” is taking place from 11 – 19 September 2017, engaging 95 members of the British Army and 65 members of the Croatian Armed Forces. The goal was to upgrade operational capabilities and interoperability through fulfilled training objectives (medical care, evacuation and stabilisation of the wounded). At the Distinguished Visitor Day the participants demonstrated the medical care of mass casualties with various wounds. This year’s Exercise saw the first participation of the reserve component pf the British Army and the members of the Guards Mechanised Brigade, of the Guards Armoured Mechanised Brigade and the Engineer Regiment of the Croatian Army and the medical personnel, equipped with the Patria SAN armoured personnel vehicle.
The main training group was the medical personnel of the UK Army and of the Croatian Armed Forces, conducting the training through individual and joint activities. The secondary training group are the UK Army command and logistic personnel (signal, staff planning, troop leading procedures and transportation). The 254th Medical Regiment, established in Cambridge in 1985, provides medical support to many military units (first aid, life sustainment and triage).
“The Exercise is another proof of partnership and good co-operation between Croatia and the United Kingdom, which is one of Croatia’s most important European and partners in defence and security“, said the Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Damir Krstičević, who also stated that the practice and development of new capabilities side by side with the partner armed forces was essential for the development of the Croatian Armed Forces.
Ambassador Dalgleish praised seeing joint providing of medical care in the field by the soldiers of the two countries, and also the illustrative presentation of all activities within the Exercise.
“The exercises of the kind, engaging the soldiers of the two countries side by side in military actions upgrade our already very good bilateral military relations to even higher level and demonstrate their quality“, concluded the Ambassador.
The bilateral exercise “Sava Star” of the British and Croatian armed forces has been conducted since 2013, planned to continue until 2020.
In February 2017 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the two ministries of defence aimed at promoting the bilateral defence and security co-operation between the United Kingdom and Croatia, with the focus on defence reforms, security and defence policies, training and education, international exercises and operation (including the UN-led operations) and military technical co-operation.