FLASH
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Around 3,000 elite troops from the US, the UK and 22 other countries are taking part in the largest NATO special forces exercise in Europe, even as Donald Trump is reducing support for his allies.
The 10-day event, involving 10 countries, is designed to test responses to attempts by an unidentified enemy, most likely Russia, to infiltrate NATO territory and launch sabotage, cyberattacks and other attacks on the verge of a general war.
The significant US contribution to the exercise underscores the important role played by Washington in defending European territory and shows how exposed the alliance would be if Trump were to further reduce the number of troops on the continent.
Sky News watched on Saturday evening as US service personnel pushed two rigid inflatable boats, stacked together and connected by a double parachute, from the back of a US military transport aircraft off the coast of Greece.
The drop was followed by two waves of American and Greek special forces, a total of 15 people, who parachuted from the same C-130 plane. They descended into the water, broke free from their tents, grabbed their boats, inflated them, and raced toward shore.
In the scenario, the troops, equipped with night vision goggles and body armor, were then tasked with secretly entering a naval location where about 10 suspected enemy forces, including a "high-value target," had established a small base to conduct disruptive operations.
The task of the allies, using drones and other weapons systems, was to attack the base and kill or capture the target. The naval simulation is among many different training series taking place on land, sea and in the air, including in the Mediterranean Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, as part of the special forces exercise, which is called Trojan Trail 2026.
It began on May 11 and takes place every two years. Soldiers from Britain's Ranger Regiment - classified as a special operations force, although not as elite as the SAS or Level 1 SBS - are among those taking part, although they were not involved in the parachute jump in Greece.
Not all participating countries are NATO members. Troops from partner countries, including Switzerland and Georgia, are also involved. The special forces exercise is taking place as concern grows among European allies about Trump's commitment to defending Europe, after he has repeatedly criticized NATO.
The Pentagon has already canceled a plan to send 4,000 troops to Poland in a temporary rotation that would have included other countries such as the Baltic states and Romania. A smaller deployment to Germany has also been canceled. The moves come after the Trump administration said it would withdraw 5,000 U.S. forces from Germany over the next 12 months.
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