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.