NATO starts naval exercises off Canary Islands of Spain

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) started five-day naval exercises Monday 200 miles off the Canary Islands of Spain.

The naval and air forces from 11 NATO members, including the United States, Germany, France, Britain, Portugal, and Spain, participated in the US-led maneuvers, dubbed Majestic Eagles '04, which aimed to test the integration capacity of the NATO forces in face of war.

According to military sources, among the vessels taking part in the exercises are four aircraft carriers, including the Enterprise and Harry Truman (United States), Garibaldi (Italy) and Prince of Asturias (Spain), 20 warships, 150 aircraft, and 20,000 personnel.

"It is a great opportunity to be physically together with our allies and exchange data and experience," said US admiral Barry McCullough.