Noble Partner: defence exercise to involve more nations, troops in Georgia
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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.
Over two weeks, more than 3,000 troops will train in command and field drills under the leadership of the Georgian Armed Forces and United States Army Europe.
Marking the fourth time Georgia hosts the exercise, service members from 13 NATO and allied countries will be involved in its increased scope.
We are honored to announce that multinational exercise #NoblePartner 2018 kicks off on 1st of August with 13 NATO member & partner nations Strength Through Partnership!@USArmyEurope ; @US_EUCOM@DefenceHQpic.twitter.com/taszVK24K4
— MOD Georgia (@ModGovGe) July 23, 2018
Beside units from the host country the drills will involve troops from the US, the United Kingdom, Germany, Estonia, France, Lithuania, Poland, Norway, Turkey, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The Ministry of Defence of Georgia said Noble Partner would also feature increased aircraft numbers from the US forces and armoured vehicles from the German units.
Involving both staff-level work and field exercises, the drills will train participants in live fire, maneuvering and combat support element in defensive and offensive operations.
An armoured element in action during the 2017 Noble Partner in Vaziani. Photo: Georgia’s Defence Ministry press office.
Georgia’s Defence Ministry says the multinational event aims to increase interoperability and combat readiness between Georgian and allied troops, develop combat capabilities and contribute to security in the Black Sea region.
Last year’s Noble Partner saw over 2,800 service members from eight participating nations cooperate at the Vaziani training ground.
It followed similar exercises in eastern Europe including Saber Guardian in Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary and Sea Breeze in Ukraine.
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.
Georgia’s Minister of Defence Levan Izoria announced today that the large-scale Noble Partner 2017 exercises will start on July 30, with the involvement of five NATO member and three ally countries.
Georgia will host the largest edition of the annual Noble Partner defence exercise with its European and regional partners later this year with troops from 11 countries joining forces for the training.
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.
Noble Partner 2018, a Georgian Armed Forces and the US Army Europe led exercise has officially kicked off in Georgia today. Under the slogan Power is in Partnership, the exercise is being hosted by the Vaziani Military Base in the outskirts of Tbilisi for the fourth time.
Georgian service members carried out joint drills alongside their partner forces from the United States, United Kingdom and Ukraine earlier today, within the Noble Partner defence exercise ongoing outside capital Tbilisi.
The Agile Spirit 2018 opening ceremony has been held in Senaki, Western Georgia today. The security exercises will last until September 11.
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.