U.S. Army Europe
June 1, 2015
Exercise Saber Strike 15 demonstrates international cooperation capabilities
By U.S. Army Europe Public Affairs
Canadian and U.S. Soldiers plan their route through a forest to an objective point during the field training portion of the Saber Strike exercise on June 16, 2014. Saber Strike 2014 is a joint, multi-national military exercise scheduled for June 9- 20. The exercise spans multiple locations in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and involves approximately 4,500 personnel from 10 countries. The exercise is designed to…strengthen international military partnerships, enhance multinational interoperability and prepare participants for worldwide contingency operations.
Parachute company of the 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry along with the Latvian Army breeched the enemy line of Lithuanian Army supported by U.S. Striker armoured vehicles, after which an air strike was called in on the enemy position-clearing the enemy area. Saber Strike 2014 is a joint, multi-national military exercise scheduled for June 9- 20. The exercise spans multiple locations in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and involves approximately 4,500 personnel from 10 countries. The exercise is designed to promote regional stability, strengthen international military partnerships, enhance multinational interoperability and prepare participants for worldwide contingency operations.
WIESBADEN, Germany:- Approximately 6,000 personnel from 13 countries will participate in the U.S. Army Europe led joint multinational exercise Saber Strike 15 taking place in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland from June 8-19.
Saber Strike is a long-standing U.S. Army Europe-led cooperative training exercise conducted annually since 2010. The aim of the exercise is to improve the cooperation and capabilities of the participating nations for future contingency operations.
This year’s exercise objectives facilitate cooperation amongst Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The exercise trains participants on command and control as well as interoperability with regional partners. The exercise will consist of Field and Situational Training Exercises conducted in Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, Joint Tactical Air Controller training in Estonia, and a Command Post Exercise conducted in Lithuania.
Lithuania, the host nation for this year’s exercise, will hold the opening ceremony at Nemencine Training Area, June 8, with the exercise co-director, Lithuanian Land Forces Commander, Maj. Gen Almantas Leika, presiding.
Saber Strike 15 will be the national level certification for the Baltic Battalion getting ready for the NATO Response Force certification exercise Trident Juncture held in the fall of 2015. The Baltic Battalion is a joint contribution of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia to NATO.
Saber Strike 15 also features the integration of U.S. close air support with partner nation ground forces and a demonstration of U.S. air deployment of forces and equipment. All activities will feature joint, multinational training among the participating nations.
Units from USAEUR include the headquarters’, Joint Multinational Simulation Center, Observer Coach Trainers from the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, 5th Signal Command, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, 18th Engineer Brigade, 173rd Airborne Brigade and 234th Engineer Detachment.
The Pennsylvania Army National is participating in both the command post exercise with a command and control element and the field training exercise with a platoon of light infantry. The Michigan Army National Guard is participating in the situational training and field training exercise with their Unmanned Aerial Systems team.
For U.S. Air Forces in Europe the 435th Contingency Response Group, 435th Air-Ground Operations Wing, and the 37th Airlift Wing will be participating.
U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command is providing B-52 aircraft to participate in air operations training throughout Saber Strike and BALTOPS exercises.
Units participating from the U.S. Air National Guard are the Michigan ANG with KC-135s and Joint Tactical Air Controllers, Pennsylvania ANG with KC-135s, and Maryland ANG with A-10s.
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About us: U.S. Army Europe is uniquely positioned in its 51 country area of responsibility to advance American strategic interests in Europe and Eurasia. The relationships we build during more than 1,000 theater security cooperation events in more than 40 countries each year lead directly to support for multinational contingency operations around the world, strengthen regional partnerships and enhance global security.
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