NATO and partners hold land, sea exercises in eastern Europe

PanARMENIAN.Net - Thousands of troops from NATO and its partner nations are training on land and sea in central and eastern Europe Thursday, June 1 in two major exercises that aim to demonstrate their cooperation and rapid response capabilities at a time when the region feels threatened by Russia's activities, The Associated Press said.

Some 4,000 U.S. and European troops from 14 nations took part in the annual Baltic Operations navy exercise that opened Thursday in Poland's Baltic Sea port of Szczecin. The 45th edition of the so-called BALTOPS exercise involves maritime, air and ground forces with some 50 ships and submarines and over 50 aircraft, and will run through June 16.

BALTOPS began in 1972 as a NATO exercise. Former Eastern Bloc nations joined in 1993, as they opened efforts to become alliance members.

Meanwhile in Romania, another 2,000 soldiers, 1,000 assistance personnel and 500 vehicles from 11 NATO nations are training within the alliance's so-called "Noble Jump 2017" drill that opened in Greece Monday.

Some 300 troops traveling in a military convoy arrived in Romania from Bulgaria on Thursday. Other troops are expected to join in from bases in Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Norway and Albania.

Noble Jump aims to show the deployment skills of NATO's Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, established after the 2014 NATO summit in Walesa to provide rapid response to threats on NATO's eastern flank.

"While this is a first time that this particular set of exercises takes place in Romania, the desired effect is to practice the ability to deliver to our politicians the capability they've requested of us," Maj. Gen. Ian Cave, who commands the exercise, said in Giurgiu, on Romania's border with Bulgaria.

The exercise is providing proof that the alliance is "able to deliver a rapid deterrent response to any situation that threatens it," NATO said in a statement.