Anniversary Agile Spirit exercise launches in Georgia with NATO, partner nations
Georgian Defence Forces and US Army Europe and Africa lead the drills involving 13 other nations. Photo: Ministry of Defence of Georgia.
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Over 2,500 troops from 15 NATO member and partner states are to get involved in drills developing interoperability through staff and field manoeuvres in the anniversary 10th Agile Spirit multinational exercise that started in Georgia on Monday.
Live fire drills, airborne operations and other elements of combined manoeuvres will be honed by the latest edition of the event which, for the first time, will showcase air deployment involving servicemembers from Georgia, Poland, Romania, United Kingdom and United States.
Another novelty will come in the hardware roster used by participating troops, with combat- and medical evacuation versions of the Georgian-produced armoured vehicle Didgori set to be utilised on the field.
Are you ready for #AgileSpirit? These @GeorgiaGuard Soldiers are... Read all about their participation here ⬇️ https://t.co/GjAoY6T8sR
— U.S. Army Europe and Africa (@USArmyEURAF) July 26, 2021
It kicks off today, and is why we're #StrongerTogether #WeAreNATO @usingeo @NATO @US_EUCOM @NationalGuard pic.twitter.com/P3az0U3cl3
Taking place in five bases, polygons and airfields across the country, the Agile Spirit exercise will look to develop "operational capability while planning and executing operations in multinational environments", a defence ministry release said.
The manoeuvres are led by the Western Command of the Georgian Defence Forces and US Army Europe and Africa. US Army Major Robert Schwarz told the Army news website “[t]he Georgia Army National Guard has a long-standing relationship with the Country of Georgia which allows us to be able to operate as a unified force.”
The event also involves troops from Azerbaijan, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Spain, Turkey and Ukraine. Servicemembers from the latter arrived in Georgia on naval vessels after crossing the Black Sea.
The 2021 edition of Agile Spirit will run through August 6.
Georgian Defence Forces bases across the country will soon enjoy NATO-standard infrastructure, minister Juansher Burchuladze announced on Thursday in his presentation of the ministry's 10-year action plan.
Georgian Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze has presented a 10-year economic development plan which covers five major priorities: anti-armor, air, artillery, reconnaissance and engineering capabilities. He said that the plan is based on threats that Georgia may face in 2030 and the goal is to ensure the consistent and continuous development of the Georgian army in order to obtain high combat capability to cope with the challenges facing Georgia as well as to contribute to global security.
Georgia will host the Agile Spirit 2021 multinational exercise next week involving 2,500 troops from 15 NATO allied and partner countries in Georgia between July 26 and August 6. Agile Spirit is a Georgian Defence Forces and US Army Europe and Africa cooperatively-led, joint multinational brigade-level exercise, incorporating a simulated command post exercise, field training, and joint multinational, battalion-level combined arms live-fire exercises.
Land and seaborne units of the Georgian Defence Forces and the coast guard of the country are joining their counterparts from no less than 30 countries in a large-scale Sea Breeze 2021 drills centred around the Black Sea region.
Georgian and American airborne troops deployed in "scale not seen before" at the ongoing Agile Spirit multinational drills in Georgia on Sunday, with defence minister Juansher Burchuladze praising the first-ever occasion at the anniversary edition of the exercise.
The 10th Agile Spirit multinational exercise hosted by Georgia, involving 2,500 troops from 15 NATO allied and partner countries, came to an end earlier today. Agile Spirit, which is a Georgian Defence Forces and US Army Europe and Africa cooperatively-led, joint multinational brigade-level exercise, was held between July 26 and August 6. It covered a simulated command post exercise, field training, and joint multinational, battalion-level combined arms live-fire exercises.