Noble Partner multinational defence exercise concludes outside Tbilisi
Georgian and allied commanders and personnel salute at the closing ceremony of the drills. Photo: Georgia’s Defence Ministry press office.
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Service members accompanied by ground- and air assets from Georgian and allied nations featured in a show exercise which concluded the Noble Partner 2018 multinational defence exercise outside Tbilisi earlier today.
A unit featuring troops from the participating armed forces showcased results of their training in a scenario of urban defence at Firing Range 11 of the Vaziani Training Area.
Their task was to defeat a notional hostile force in the combat area and allow the division-sized unit to counterattack from the location, the Ministry of Defence of Georgia said in a release.
The demonstration saw the Georgian troops utilise the FGM-148 Javelin portable anti-tank missile complex for the first time since it was obtained from their US partners earlier this year.
Also involving the AH-64 Apache attack helicopters of the US forces, the action saw ground hardware from Georgian and German forces.
The Marder infantry fighting vehicle of the German forces in action. Photo: Georgia’s Defence Ministry press office.
These included the Marder infantry fighting vehicle from German units and the T-72 tanks from Georgia’s 4th Mechanised Brigade.
Rounding off the list of military hardware, artillery and engineering units also supported the joint effort of the conclusive drill.
An Apache attack helicopter supports Georgian T-72 main battle tanks during the drills. Photo: Georgia’s Defence Ministry press office.
Attended by defence officials and military commanders from Georgia and the United States, the two nations that led the drills, the event’s audience also featured Georgian government members.
Georgia’s Defence Minister Levan Izoria said in his concluding words the exercise had shown the Georgian forces were “in full compatibility” with the US policy outlined in the recent Defence Authorisation Act signed by President Donald Trump.
US forces photographed near their armoured infantry vehicle. Photo: Georgia’s Defence Ministry press office.
Izoria also told the audience at the training grounds the Noble Partner exercise was seen as one of drills serving regional security.
/| The [US Defence Authorisation Act] notes the need for Georgia to participate in wider regional exercises along with Ukraine, within the Black Sea [area]”, Izoria said in his comments.
Personnel of the German forces taking part in the exercise photographed at the closing event. Photo: Georgia’s Defence Ministry press office.
This year’s edition of the Noble Partner drills launched on August 1 and involved troops from 13 NATO and allied nations in trainings at Vaziani and Camp Norio grounds.
Over 3,000 service members from Georgia, the US, the United Kingdom, Germany, Estonia, France, Lithuania, Poland, Norway, Turkey, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Armenia featured in combined staff- and field efforts during the event.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani says that support for Georgia in the US Defence Authorisation Act has never been as strong as it is now.
The US Defence Authorisation Act, which the president of the United States Donald Trump signed on August 13, affirms support for the open door policy of NATO, “including the eventual membership of Georgia in NATO”.
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