EXERCISE CANAL 2000

EXERCISE CANALE 2000

Canale 2000 is an Italo-Maltese bilateral exercise aimed at improving the operational capabilities of air and sea units of the Armed Forces of the two countries.

The exercise has been organised by the two countries on an alternating basis since 1994. This year the exercise will be held in the waters around the Maltese archipelago from 11 to 15 July. It will particularly concentrate on developing and practising forms of co-operation in Search and Rescue (SAR), Control and Inspection of Merchant Shipping suspected of carrying out illegal activities and Control and Prevention of clandestine immigration.

Military personnel of both countries will participate in the exercise with air and naval units of the two armed forces. It is customary to invite countries such as France, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey to participate in the exercise. Libya has been invited to participate for the first time.

Countries who form part of the Euro-Mediterranean Process such as Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority and Syria were invited to send an observer, as has been done in previous editions of the exercise since 1995.