FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
"Trojan Footprint 2026" includes 3,000 elite troops in 10 European countries as the Trump administration reduces military presence on the continent...
NATO is holding the largest special forces exercise in Europe, at a time when the Donald Trump administration is reducing military support for European allies.
The 10-day exercise, called "Trojan Footprint 2026," involves operations in 10 countries and aims to test the alliance's response to infiltrations, sabotage and cyberattacks by an unidentified enemy, widely considered a reference to Russia.
About 3,000 elite troops from the US, the UK and 22 other countries are taking part in land, sea and air training operations taking place in the Mediterranean, Baltic and Black Sea regions.
The large American contribution to this exercise highlights Washington's key role in defending European territory and at the same time shows how exposed NATO would be if the US were to further reduce its military presence in Europe, as President Trump has warned.
According to Sky News, on Saturday evening, US military personnel carried out an air operation off the coast of Greece. Two military rafts attached to parachutes were dropped from a US C-130 transport aircraft, while two waves of US and Greek special forces, a total of 15 soldiers, were then parachuted into the sea.
After landing, the troops recovered the floating craft, inflated them, and moved toward the shore to simulate an operation against an enemy base. In the scenario, the special forces were tasked with neutralizing or capturing a high-value target suspected of coordinating destabilizing operations.
The operation used drones, night vision devices and other modern weapons systems.
A Greek special forces soldier, who participated in the parachute jump and spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said such exercises are useful for preparing for real threats.
Commenting on the cooperation with American troops, he stated that he felt “very close” to his American counterparts. Asked if such a mission could be accomplished without US support, he replied: “Yes, of course.”
Also participating in the exercise are soldiers from Britain's Ranger Regiment, classified as a special operations force, although not at the elite level of the SAS or SBS.
Partner countries outside NATO, including Switzerland and Georgia, are also part of the operation.
The exercise comes as concerns in Europe over Donald Trump's commitment to the defense of allies have grown. The Pentagon has canceled a plan to temporarily rotate 4,000 troops to Poland and other Eastern European countries, including the Baltic states and Romania.
A smaller deployment in Germany has also been canceled. The measures follow the Trump administration's decision to withdraw 5,000 US troops from Germany over the next 12 months.
Lini një Përgjigje