December 16 (SeeNews) - A multinational special aviation training centre has opened in Croatia's Zadar, dedicated to training air crews responsible for transporting special operations forces, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) said.
The centre will start work next year with academic training, before flight training begins in 2021, NATO said in a statement last week.
Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovenia also participate in the project along with Croatia, it added.
The centre's location in the Adriatic city of Zadar offers training opportunities for helicopter crews in various geographic settings – including in the mountains, at sea and on islands.
"The Multinational Special Aviation Programme [MSAP] epitomizes what NATO stands for – Allies achieving more together than they ever could individually," NATO assistant secretary general for defence investment, Camille Grand, said in the statement.
MSAP is supported by the NATO special operations headquarters, and benefits from informal ties with the special operations aviation communities of selected allies. Additional allies and partner nations may decide to join MSAP in the future, which could lead to a further expansion of the Zadar centre’s scope, NATO said.