The war games will bring together some 1,000 troops from eleven countries who will test their interoperability over almost two weeks.

Slovenia will host the exercise, but training will also take place in Germany and Croatia, which hosted the exercise over the past three years.

The computer-simulated exercise is held under the sponsorship of the US Army in Europe, the Slovenian Armed Forces said.

Besides Slovenian and Croatian troops, soldiers from the US, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Denmark, Kosovo, Hungary, Macedonia and Britain will test interoperability in disaster relief and rescue efforts.

The participating troops will gather this afternoon in the park outside the Postojna Cave, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Slovenia.

The inauguration will be accompanied by a military fair featuring a music programme, an exhibition of Slovenian Armed Forces military equipment and a game with the main prize being a flight with a helicopter. Slovenian top athletes who are employed at the Armed Forces will also join in.