WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- The US Joint Forces Command will conduct a joint training exercise on Jan. 18-30, 2004, to enhance the military's ability to operate jointly at the tactical level, the Defense Department announced.

    The exercise, the first of many planned joint national trainingcapability (JNTC) horizontal training exercises, will pull together service training sites, systems, and exercises to meet the needs of combatant commanders to fight in a joint environment,a department statement said.

    The exercise will link participants from 16 different sites across the country including simulators and simulations from 12 locations, by integrating a US Army National Training Center rotation in California, an Air Force air warrior exercise in Nevada, a Marine Corps combined arms exercise in California, and aNavy surface launched attack missile exercise at San Diego, California.

    Special operations forces will also participate in the exercise.     

    The joint training will build on the military services' training exercises to provide a common picture that includes all exercise data from across the military - whether live, virtual (manned simulators) or constructive (computer simulations).

    This and future exercises will lead to initial JNTC operational capability by October 2004, the statement said. Enditem