Agile Spirit defence drills in Georgia to feature amphibious operations for first time
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This year’s Agile Spirit multinational defence exercise in Georgia will include sea component for the first time, with the drills set to involve troops from the host country and its international partners.
The Ministry of Defence of Georgia announced the news earlier today, as minister Levan Izoria met Major General Russell Sanborn, US Marine Corps Forces Commander in Europe and Africa.
[The 2018 Agile Spirit] will be special for involving an addition of a new element in the form of [developing] amphibious capacities [of participating troops], which will create a more solid basis for following exercises", Izoria said following the meeting.
Marine Corps' Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Corbaty awarded the General Kvinitadze Medal by Izoria. Photo: Georgia’s Defence Ministry press office.
Set to augment the elements comprising the drills, the addition was noted as "very important for regional security" by the head of the ministry, whose meeting with Sanborn reviewed Georgia's contribution to international peace and security missions.
Beside discussing participation of troops from the country in ongoing campaigns such as the Resolute Support effort in Afghanistan, the two sides also reviewed the Georgia Defence Readiness Program, a joint US-Georgia initiative.
The program, developed between the Defence Ministry and the US Defence Department, aims to improve combat readiness of the Georgian Armed Forces.
The meeting between Izoria and Sanborn also marked a recognition of efforts by the US Marine Corps stationed in Georgia for preparing Georgian service members for their ongoing participation in the Resolute Support mission.
In a formal move, Marine Corps' Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Corbaty was distinguished with the Georgian Defence Ministry's General Kvinitadze Medal by Izoria.
This year's Agile Spirit drills will be held in Georgia in the summer.
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Agile Spirit 2017 multinational drills, involving more than 1,500 soldiers from seven countries, ended today.
Georgian troops and their American and Eastern European allies are participating in annual military drills Agile Spirit 2017 that has taken start today in Georgia.
Georgia’s defence officials and military commanders hosted Lieutenant General Jan Broeks, Director General of the NATO International Military Staff this week, for talks and meetings on cooperation between the alliance and the country.
The American general will attend the three year long Georgian Defence Readiness Program launch ceremony with the Defence Minister and also will participate in the opening of the Combat Training Center at the Vaziani military base.
Georgia is set to host this year’s Noble Partner multinational defence exercise with thousands of personnel and an increased quantity of hardware from over a dozen participating nations.
Troops and military hardware from NATO member states and Georgia’s allies have arrived in the country’s Black Sea port of Poti, a week before the multinational defence exercise Noble Partner kicks off outside the capital of Tbilisi.
Fresh from the conclusion of the Noble Partner multinational drills, Georgia will be hosting this year’s Agile Spirit — a command- and staff-level defence exercise in the country’s west.
Fresh from the conclusion of the Noble Partner multinational drills, Georgia will be hosting this year’s Agile Spirit — a command- and staff-level defence exercise in the country’s west.
The Agile Spirit 2018 opening ceremony has been held in Senaki, Western Georgia today. The security exercises will last until September 11.
Georgia will host the largest yet edition of the Agile Spirit multinational defence drills with over 3,000 service members from NATO member states and partner countries this summer.
Georgian Defence Minister Levan Izoria says that US-Georgia cooperation is at an all-time high, especially in the defence field, and “in the future we only welcome American bases in Georgia”, he told Voice of America.
Georgia will be hosting the military drills for two weeks starting today, which involves more than 3,000 soldiers from 14 NATO members and allies, including: Georgia, US, UK, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Norway, Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine.
Georgia's progress on path to NATO partnership and the alliance's involvement in the Black Sea regional stability were lauded by the Minister of Defence of Georgia Levan Izoria in an address at the closing of the Agile Spirit defence drills in Georgia earlier today.
Georgian Defence Forces will team up with their counterparts from the United States, France, United Kingdom and Poland to hold the latest edition of the Noble Partner defence drills next month.
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Airborne troops of units of the United States European Command landed in a demonstration drills at the Vaziani Military Airfield outside Tbilisi on Tuesday to preview the Noble Partner multinational exercise opening in Georgia next week.