NATO's Largest Artillery Exercises In Europe To Be Held On Border With Russia
7- 4.11.2024, 15:56
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5,000 troops from the United States and 28 other countries will be involved.
NATO will hold the largest artillery integration exercise on the European continent. Finland will host it for the first time, and it will be held on the border with Russia. As liga.net writes, this was stated in a press release from the US Army in Europe and Africa.
The Lightning Strike 24 exercises are part of the Dynamic Front 25 series. They will involve more than 5,000 troops from the United States and 28 other allied and partner countries of the Alliance. They will involve over 130 different weapons systems.
In addition to Finland, the exercises will be held in Estonia, Germany, Poland and Romania. In Finland, they will be held until November 28 on the border with the Murmansk region of Russia — in the areas of Rovajärvi and Rovaniemi (Lapland).
The exercise will involve approximately 3,600 Finnish troops (brigade-level units, the Air Force, the Border Guard, the Finnish Defence Forces C5 Agency, the Centre of Military Medicine and the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command) and approximately 1,250 international troops.
The aim of the exercise is to demonstrate NATO's defence capabilities in northern Europe and to practice operational command, control and interaction with the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps.
According to the exercise director, Colonel Janne Mäkitalo, the scale shows that Finland can get help from its allies “very quickly” if needed.
“This is a good example of how our own field artillery combined with our allies' capabilities forms a strong defence in northern Finland and NATO,” he said.