A team of 50 international military experts, among others from Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Britain, will operate in the center under the direct NATO command in Norfolk, the Czech news agency CTK reported. The experts will provide consultancy, work out security doctrines, train soldiers and simulate dangerous situations, Mikes said. There are 16 similar NATO centers, each with a different scope of work, CTK said. “Germany and Canada were our big competitors. The Czech Republic was mainly selected over the long-term tradition of chemical units in our territory and their successes during the deployment, for instance, in the Persian Gulf,” Czech Chief-of Staff Vlastimil Picek said.

Apart from the training of specialized troops from NATO countries, the center will focus on scientific research and analyze the threats of mass destruction weapons in the world. The center still needs another 13 soldiers who will complete the team during next year, said Mikes. The center was officially established on July 1, 2007, but it started to work on its newly reconstructed and strictly confidential premises in Vyskov only Thursday. (people.com.cn)