NATO allies in ‘show of firepower’ in the Balkans

British troops Troops joined forces from 13 countries for the ‘Joint Allied Power Demonstration Day’ (JAPDD) in Cincu, Romania, the culmination of a key NATO exercise called Steadfast Defender.

According to the British Army here, the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Group capability from 3rd Battalion The Rifles is the forward element and the eyes and ears of the multinational Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) Brigade.

“The JAPDD followed a rapid deployment of the VJTF Brigade to Romania by land, sea and air conducting integration and rehearsals immediately prior to the event and is running alongside the US-led exercise called Defender Europe 21 – the largest deployment of multinational troops in Europe for decades, encapsulating more than 30,000 personnel from 27 nations, conducting co-ordinated operations across more than 30 training areas in a dozen countries.

Protected by the UK’s Carrier Strike Group led by HMS Queen Elizabeth in the Atlantic and France’s Charles de Gaulle in the Mediterranean, the JAPDD illustrated the significant and wide-ranging firepower NATO is able to deploy at very short notice.

Immediately after the demonstration the 3 Rifles ISR group rapidly deployed as part of Exercise Saber Guardian, the final phase of Defender Europe 21, with the British soldiers providing flank protection and screening for the (VJTF) Brigade, as well as integrating into Italian and Spanish Mechanised Infantry Battalions.”

Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Boardman, Commanding Officer 3 Rifles, was quoted as saying:

“The JAPDD is a culmination of our work on Exercise Steadfast Defender. We’ve been working on our interoperability with our NATO partners and proving the capability of the multinational VJTF Brigade. It’s a very strong and clear demonstration of the significant warfighting capability of the VJTF and our ability to respond to any aggressors if required. It really shows our confidence in operating alongside our partner nations in this display of firepower that’s a very impressive spectacle to watch.”

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