BUCHAREST, ROU – NATO members participated in Exercise “Dacian Lynx 2016” (DALX 16) in Romania and Bulgaria, from May 5-13, 2016.

The exercise involved approximately 250 military personnel from 11 NATO state members, including the NATO Force Integration Units (NFIUs) in Bulgaria and Romania.

“The purpose of the exercise ‘Dacian Lynx 2016’ is to train and validate NATO forces in planning and conducting crisis response operations to restore peace and security in a joint operation area,” said Romanian Armed Forces Brigadier General Ovidiu Uὶfăleanu, Commander of Multinational Division Southeast (HQ MND-SE). “The exercise acts to reinforce the concept of collective defence and is a clear demonstration of cooperation among allies.”

DALX 16 consisted of a command post exercise and computer assisted exercise for operational and tactical level staff training. The exercise was meant to additionally demonstrate the achievement of initial operational capability requirements in accordance with the MND-SE headquarters’ implementation plan, and to prove the ability to command and control the Bulgarian and Romanian NFIUs.

The exercise also demonstrated Bulgarian and Romanian NFIUs’ ability to facilitate reception, staging, and onward movement and integration of assigned NATO forces.