More than 1,000 British troops have commenced one of the largest military exercises in the Balkans this year, as part of a significant show of the UK’s commitment to regional security, according to a press release.
The exercises, which form part of Operation Chelonia, are taking place across three months and will enhance the UK’s ability to operate alongside NATO allies in eastern Europe.
One of the key highlights of the training involves a deployment of UK troops to Kosovo via an amphibious landing. The troops utilised a motorised floating platform, the Mexeflote, which enabled the transportation of heavy military hardware, including trucks and tanks, to a beach with no established infrastructure near the Pasha Liman Naval Base in southern Albania.
Minister for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard, highlighted the importance of these exercises, stating: “These exercises show our unwavering commitment to standing united with our allies and working hand in hand to boost our collective security. The UK has always had a major presence in the Western Balkans, and it’s important we demonstrate a united front to ensure regional security.”
The Strategic Reserve Force (SRF), consisting of 600 Army personnel, led the landing. The SRF is a rapid deployment force kept on standby to respond within two weeks if tensions in the region escalate. This year, the 1st Battalion of the Royal Yorkshire Regiment is leading the SRF. The scale of the operation is significant, with 26,000 linear metres of vehicles and equipment being transported to Albania aboard the 13,500-tonne Ro-Ro vessel, Hartland Point.
The Royal Air Force has also been involved in the training exercises, working alongside the British Army to ensure all personnel are prepared for operations both at home and abroad. The exercises, which include participation from countries such as Serbia, Romania, Kosovo, Georgia, Croatia, and Moldova, reaffirm the UK’s commitment to supporting regional stability.
Pollard added: “Working closely with our NATO partners, we are demonstrating our combined efforts to safeguard peace, stability, and security in the region.”
As tensions remain high due to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, the UK’s presence in the Balkans is seen as a critical part of maintaining stability and supporting NATO allies in the region. The exercises also follow last year’s deployment of 200 personnel from the 1st Battalion of the Princess of Wales’ Royal Regiment to Kosovo under NATO command, following increased tensions in the north of the country.
The Ministry of Defence say in their news update:
“This exercise reaffirms the UK’s commitment to our allies in the region. Whilst Putin continues his illegal and reckless invasion of Ukraine and aggressive posturing, it is vital that the UK works consistently alongside our NATO allies to display a united front of our collective strength. From our continued presence in Kosovo, to our counter-disinformation support in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the UK remains completely committed to upholding democracy and supporting our allies in the Western Balkans.”
I must say that the Russians must feel pretty deterred already.
The UK and NATO are not deterring Russia in the Balkans because Russia does not pose a conventional military threat in the Balkans. A country that is having serious problems even defeating a third rate power like Ukraine, is not about to attack NATO. The British Government itself knows this as is evidenced by the fact that Britain has continually cut its defence capabilities over the past several years and is, indeed, about to cut them further.
I’m not so sure Roy. Russia is hoping for a combination of unlikely events to get itself out of the hole it has dug. If Russia gets lucky why shouldn’t Russia push on if not deterred. It might be the only thing which keeps Putin in power.
There are few signs that Russians are, thus far, prepared to turn on Putin. There is also no indication that another Russian Government would be prepared to walk away from Ukraine.
… as for going on to attack NATO. One would have to believe that after suffering upwards of 500,000 casualties that Russia would then prepared to “press on” and attack NATO, and the US, just for the sake of attacking NATO. It is not credible and quite evidently, the British Government itself believes it such a threat is not credible which is why further defence cuts are likely.
Not for the sake of attacking NATO. Russia has made it clear that the current Regime is set on restablishing it’s old dominion, and would like nothing more than to reclaim parts of the Baltics and close the gap to the Koenigsberg enclave.
And if you can only imagine Russia launching an all out conventional invasion of the Baltics then you’ve not been paying attention to Russian MO’s.
Many (if not all) of Putin’s generals must realise winning in Ukraine is unlikely in the extreme yet they continue. There seems to be no price they will not pay to achieve their objectives and rebuild the Russian empire. If you follow that to it’s logical conclusion we are in trouble.
If Labour do cut defence then it will be on ideological grounds and nothing to with credible threats. We will see.
It’s not even that unlikely. A Trump victory would seal it for Russia, and failing that Russia just has to outlast the west at this point. It’s successfully distracted the Public’s interest by having it’s Proxy Hamas engage Israel in a headline grabbing war.
In the Balkans Russia might not act directly, but they’ve long had proxies in Serbia, and a more overt Presence in Transnistria. While the latter probably is a bit precarious (given it’s proximity to Ukraine), the former is certainly a pot they’d not mind stirring if it draws western attention away from Ukraine.
Russia does not need to or would attack the Balkans, Russia in the Balkans would use political warfare to destabilise and cause conflict, there are a number of sides in the Balkans who would happy start tearing chunks out of each other, one of those sides is a NATO member, another is protected but UN resolutions and then you have a group firmly in the Russian camp.
Hope we have troops in reserve to support the Falkland Islands – just in case ……………..
The British Government has just made a bad political mistake on the Falklands by doing the deal it did with Mauritius. Argentina has already taken encouragement from it. To make matters worse, the British Government is now determined to create an additional political rift with the islands themselves by opposing the Falklands oil development project for purely ideological reasons. Argentina will certainly try to exploit that and can easily do so by harrassing any oil development (in an Icelandic “Cod Wars” sense) and thereby forcing the UK to deploy additional forces to the region to protect a development it publicly… Read more »
Yes Starmer & Co. have opened a can of worms for no good reason. The British Government could have done a deal with the US for the next thousand years without any commitment on sovereignty. Mauritius already knows that those islands would have been gifted to them once there is no military need for a base. The Falklands is going to be a tricky issue especially as Argentina have no realistic claim and under the 1960 UN convention it is the islanders who get the sovereignty. The problem is they don’t want it they want Britain to protect them from… Read more »
I did a bit of research a few months back about Navitas Petroleum who would be extracting falklands oil. They are an Israeli company headquarters in the USA . Personally I am not sure this is a good idea as all of a sudden israel and usa will have a big influence on Falklands Sovereignty whether to stay british , independent or hand over to Argentina . As we know UK govt is so pathetically weak from internal lobbying and just individual ignorance , that there is a genuine risk of other players trying to wrestle falklands away , not… Read more »
The development of oil in the Falklands is an absolute no brainer. Of course it should be developed. It is an enormous potential revenue source and it provides the opportunity to reduce reliance on the dictators from which too many democratic countries buy their oil. The only reason for opposing it is the irrational and ideological commitment to the fiction of “net zero”. In the end, whether Falklands oil is developed or not it will have absolutely no impact on the global climate. But irrational ideology is what rules the day these days … and in July the British people… Read more »
No, in July they voted out the most venal, corrupt, incompetent administration in the last century.
Hilarious that the sore, useless losers are still sobbing about it 🤣
The best defence of the Falklands would be an Astute lurking ready to sink any troop transport before it gets in sight of land. Just the thought of it would be enough for the Argies to stay at home. All we need is a single seaworthy sub. It doesn’t sound like it’s too much to expect…
Most analysis suggests Argentina lacks the capability to seize the islands, itself far more difficult than in 1982, due to our stronger presence there.
Exercising the future amphibious doctrine?
Without any amphibious ships…no Bays…no Albions…no Argus…so ummm?
I was amused when I read about Mexefloat.
Think Defence love them, and they are indeed useful.
But boy, who needs fast ship to shore connectors, or even the old LCVP, LCU, when HMG can go on about Mexefloat.
Is that where our amphibious capability has reduced to.
I know the Sirs and the Bays carry them, I don’t think the LPDs did.
17 P&MR RLC are the main users.
So which ship deployed them here? The Point? Or is a Bay there?
I’m more impressed by the amphibious landing carried out in land locked Kosovo… maybe they crossed Lake Gazivoda…
Just playing devil’s advocate. I see Argus is going on CSG2025. Seems to me the RN is making sure, in the context of the defence review and possible budget cuts, that it understands and can demonstrate the capability and limitations of it assets.
Send them to UKR & directly deter/deal with Russian invaders.
Any information about vehicles they are sending?