A simulated computer-based exercise to test the NATO-Russia Council’s Cooperative Airspace Initiative (CAI) Information Exchange System (IES) is taking place on 13-14 November 2012 over three CAI geographical areas of operational interest. The area Air Traffic Control Centers in Bodø, Norway and Murmansk, will take part in the exercise, NATO’s web site reads.
The exercise, called “Vigilant Skies 2012”, aims to test and consolidate information exchange systems’ processes, procedures and capabilities. It builds on the achievements of previous CAI exercises and workshops and will help to build towards a possible live exercise in 2013 over the Black Sea area.
The Cooperative Airspace Initiative was launched at the first NATO-Russia Council summit in Rome in May 2002. The purpose is to foster cooperation on airspace surveillance and air traffic coordination against terrorist attacks using civilian aircraft.
The CAI IES successfully passed testing and was declared operational in December 2011 after a successful live exercise, “Vigilant Skies 2011”, conducted in June 2011.
Presently the network of CAI IES consists of four units in NATO nations and four units in the Russian Federation. The exchange of air traffic information is conducted in three pairs of Area Air Traffic Control Centres (Bodø – Murmansk, Warsaw – Kaliningrad, Ankara – Rostov-on-Don) interconnected through CAI Coordination Centres located in Warsaw and Moscow. The project is financed by the participating NATO nations and the Russian Federation.
