U.S. and Spanish paratroopers were among thousands of NATO personnel deployed to northern Europe as part of Exercise Swift Response 25, a major operation designed to test the alliance’s ability to move forces rapidly and effectively across the continent.
Conducted between 13 and 17 May, the airlift phase in Latvia was led by the U.S. Air Force’s 37th Airlift Squadron, which flew C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
The operation forms part of DEFENDER 25, a wider annual U.S. Army-led deployment series involving 29 allied and partner nations. Exercise Swift Response 25 specifically focuses on airborne operations and interoperability, with five near-simultaneous paratrooper insertions taking place across Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Finland and Norway.
“It was really great to work with our NATO allies in Latvia and from Spain,” said Captain Patrick Halloran, chief of tactics at the 37th Airlift Squadron. “We were able to work with a lot of the host nation loading and unloading our aircraft and coordination for the ground movements there.”
The multinational airlift operation saw U.S. C-130Js integrate with Spanish and European Airbus A400Ms in mixed formations. “We got to experience the similarities and differences of how our NATO partners operate, which was really great to see,” Halloran added, highlighting how exposure to different national practices strengthened the Squadron’s understanding of broader NATO procedures.
In addition to airborne drops, Swift Response 25 included live-fire exercises, a HIMARS Rapid Infiltration (HIRAIN) mission, and the deployment of a field hospital. These activities reflect NATO’s growing emphasis on flexible, fast-response operations capable of reinforcing the eastern flank within days.
The choice of locations—many close to Russia’s borders—further underlined the strategic message behind the exercise. The ability to conduct large-scale, complex operations with short notice remains central to NATO deterrence strategy, particularly amid ongoing concerns about Russian military activity.
