SARAJEVO, September 26 (FENA) – An Antonov 124 cargo aircraft and Royal Air Force Voyager aircraft landed at Sarajevo International Airport today, with more than 120 British soldiers of the Royal Gurkha Rifles 1st Battalion and their equipment for EUFOR’s largest annual exercise, Quick Response 2019 (QR19).
At the airport, the soldiers were greeted by EUFOR Deputy Chief of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Manfred Leitner and UK Royal Air Force Wing Commander Tim Lowing.
Commander Lowing stated that deployment of these troops demonstrates the continued commitment of the United Kingdom to the security and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider Western Balkans.
British troops will join the EUFOR reserve contingent, arriving from Austria, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. Forces arriving for the Quick Response 19 military exercise represent only a small fraction of the total reserve forces of the EUFOR. They will join EUFOR Multinational Battalion members, who are permanently present in BiH.
This exercise is an annual check of EUFOR's ability to rapidly strengthen its forces in BiH, using part of its high-readiness reserve forces in partner countries. The exercise will be held in cooperation with BiH authorities, BiH Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies across locations across BiH from October 7 to 11, EUFOR stated.
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