The name ‘Noble Partner’ was deliberately chosen for the Georgia–United States (US) joint military exercises to underline the significance of the Georgian Armed Forces, said a US Army official.

The US Air Force Brigade General and European Command's Director of exercises and assessments Mark Loeben praised the Georgian Army and stressed its special commitment to international security at the opening ceremony of the Noble Partner drills, currently being conducted at Vaziani military base.

"The name of today's exercise is not a coincidence. The name Noble Partner was deliberately chosen. It is a name that the Georgian Armed Forces have earned,” he said.

"It is a name that they demonstrate through every contribution, every commitment and every sacrifice. They have demonstrated time and again a level of commitment that is worthy of the exercise that we have named on their behalf, here today," Loeben noted.

Paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade stand during the opening ceremony of the Noble Partner exercise. Photo by US Army

The 14-day exercise began at the Vaziani military air field in eastern Georgia on May 11. The exercise will involve about 600 Georgian and US military personnel.

The US Army noted the Noble Partner exercise was a bilateral effort that focused on enhancing US and Georgian NATO Response Force interoperability in the context of military-to-military relationships.

Georgia’s newly appointed Defence Minister Tinatin Khidasheli commented on the joint exercise and assessed it as "another step taken in the direction of strengthening Georgia–US collaboration.”

"The ongoing training will enable Georgia to strengthen its defensive capabilities. It also will be an enabler for Georgia to get very quickly involved in the NATO Reaction Force,” she said.

The Georgia-US joint Noble Partner military exercises will last until May 25.

Watch the video of the US Sky Soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade making a grand entrance at the opening ceremony below: