“The Multinational Special Aviation Programme epitomizes what NATO stands for – Allies achieving more together than they ever could individually,” said Assistant Secretary General Grand. He added: “by committing to training the next generation of Special Operations Forces aviation crews in one place, you – the participants – are laying the foundations for ever more seamless joint operations.”

The training centre will start work in 2020 with academic training, before flight training begins in 2021. The location in 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 is supported by the NATO Special Operations Headquarters, and benefits from informal ties with the Special Operations aviation communities of selected Allies. This cooperation of Special Operations Forces is unique in NATO. By applying NATO standards, it will increase interoperability amongst the participants, throughout the Alliance and with NATO partners. As such, additional Allies and partner nations may decide to join MSAP in the future, which could lead to a further expansion of the centre’s scope, NATO reported on its official website.