More than 1,300 Romanian and Dutch militaries participated in "Cooperative Lion 09" Romanian-Dutch bilateral exercise between April 3 and 14, in the area of responsibility of the Romanian Navy.
The main aim of the exercise was to strengthen the bilateral relations by planning the Navy actions in seaside and river side areas within the strategic cooperation.
The Defense Ministers, Mihai Stanisoara and Eimert van Middlekoop participated Tuesday, April 7, in the Day of Distinguished Visitors and had talks on the NATO recent evolutions after the anniversary Strasbourg Kiel Summit, the issues of the European Policy of Defense and Planning and the participation in the international missions.
"Cooperative Lion 09" exercise started on April 3, by the HNLMS Johan de Witt Dutch ship arrival in Constanta port. On April 4, the second Dutch ship, HNLMS Rotterdam accosted, too.
In Rasova area, between April 6 and 8, the Romanian and Dutch Navies in cooperation with the structures from the Ministry of Administration and Internal and of the Ministry of Environment performed the exercise of management of consequences of crisis by simulating the counter-terrorism actions and by limiting the effects of a potential ecological accident.
Starting April 9, the Romanian and the Dutch Navies developed the exercises on sea and seaside.
"Cooperative Lion 09" was an important stage in the development and modernization of training for the Romanian Navy by establishing and achieving the bold objectives, thus:
- It is for the first time the 307th Marine Battalion is participating in landing exercises on board of specialized ships with a Company of about 100 men; the Romanian and the Dutch Navies also cooperated in 1995, 1999, and 2000, at platoon level, only; the common exercises in Rasova and Vadu contributed in the development of the new perspectives to approach the marines' specific missions and also proved their capacity to act in inner waters;
- The Group of Navy helicopters, for the first time, performed the landing on board and re-fueling on board of foreign ships; it was an opportunity for all the pilots to train in specific conditions and with very good results;
- The corvettes 263 and 265 performed anti-submarine and anti surface ship combat operations, during the landing actions;
- The mine sweepers 29 and 30 had specific operations during the landing exercises;
- The river vedettes 178, the Monitor 47 and the River Tug Boat 302 performed the operations of surveillance and interdiction in support of river landing forces.

MoND Press Office