Georgia hosts annual Agile Spirit defence exercise with partners

Military personnel from six countries are joining forces in this year's Agile Spirit defence exercise in Georgia, which launched earlier today at the Orpolo firing range in the country's south.

The drills include troops and units from Georgia, the United States (US), Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania and Latvia, involved in command post exercises as well as field drills.

Conducted by the General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces (GAF) and US Marine Corps, the exercise will see participants train their interoperability, support regional security and improve operational skills, the Ministry of Defence of Georgia announced today.

The Marine Corps announced the launch of the drills earlier today on their Twitter account:

#AgileSpirit is underway with our Allies and partners in #Georgia! #SendTheMarinespic.twitter.com/ojFBdeI9QO

— Marine Forces Eur_Af (@MarForEUR_AF) 1 September 2016

I am very glad that people represented here and their countries appreciate peace […] friendship will be forged here that is very important for future success," said Chief of the General Staff of the GAF Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze while officially opening the drills.

Kapanadze toured the infrastructure prepared for the exercise at the Orpolo range and was briefed about the scheduled activities within the event.

Military hardware including US armoured vehicles, artillery, amphibious vehicles and other equipment designated for Agile Spirit 2016 was ferried from Bulgaria across the Black Sea to Georgia.

The drills will be carried out at the Orpolo range before the participating personnel switch their focus to command post exercises at the Vaziani Training Area just outside capital Tbilisi from September 3.

Activities within this exercise include live-fire and anti-armour training, US Marine Corps Forces Europe announced this week.

This year's Agile Spirit exercise follows the 2015 edition of the occasion, in which five nations took part. The drills were first held in 2011 and ran in a bilateral format between the GAF and US military until 2015.

The multinational exercise will conclude on September 9.