US Army’s most significant European exercise in 25 years will start soon in Greece. It was planned for last year however was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Brig. Gen. Sean Bernabe, deputy commanding general of Army Europe, said during a virtual panel back in 2020 March, “We’ve been able to work with our host nations to continue to flow personnel into and out of Europe.” He added, “As we speak, we’re planning Exercise Defender-Europe 21 to take place in the late spring [or] early summer in [2021]. It will focus on the Black Sea and Baltics region.”
NATO organized a senior leader academics seminar in Bucharest, Romania. Multinational officers from NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps and Multinational Corps Southeast before exercise.
However, according to the Lausanne Treaty, the drill will take place at a demilitarized zone that regulates the region’s status between Greece and Turkey.
The Treaty forbids Greece to establish military bases in the region, but the US established a navy base.
According to media, 110 UH-60 helicopter, 25 AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, 10 CH-47 Chinook heavy-lifthelicopter, 1 800 armoured vehicles including tanks will take place at the exercise.
Exercise DEFENDER-Europe 20 is the deployment of a division-size combat-credible force from the United States to Europe, the drawing of equipment and the movement of personnel and equipment across the theatre to various training areas. U.S.-based equipment will leave from ports in four states and arrive in six European countries.
