Operation Saber Strike

Operation Saber Strike is an annual international exercise held since 2010 by the United States Army Europe (USAREUR) focused on the Baltic States. The exercise spans multiple locations in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia and involves approximately 2,000 troops from 14 countries.

U.S. EMEDS tent deployment (Langley)

The exercise trains participants on command and control as well as interoperability with regional partners and consists of a brigade-level command post exercise and computer assisted exercise, as well as company-level field and situational training exercises. It also features the integration of U.S. close air support (CAS) with partner nation ground forces and the demonstration of U.S. Expeditionary Medical Support (EMEDS) capability.

This theater security cooperation exercise provides commanders and their staffs practical experience in organizing, controlling and supporting coalition operations and allows the United States, NATO and participating nations to demonstrate their own roles in contributing regional and global stability by strengthening international military partnerships, enhancing multinational interoperability and preparing participants for worldwide contingency operations.

Saber Strike 2011

U.S. soldiers from the 56th Stryker Brigade

Saber Strike 2011 was the first of what will be an ongoing cooperative training effort between the four nations bonded by the War in Afghanistan and is intended to increase the combat readiness of forces preparing to deploy in support of the ISAF. The exercise included a command post, a field training and situational training exercise that are aimed at training the participating countries to operate more effectively together. The tasks trained in this exercise were specifically designed to prepare the troops for operations in Afghanistan and included improvised explosive device defeat training, convoy and patrol operations, and cordon and search operations.

Saber Strike was a multinational exercise taking place at the Ādaži Training Area in Latvia, which involved units from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, the U.S. 56th Stryker Brigade, the U.S. 172nd Infantry Brigade and the U.S. 16th Sustainment Brigade. The exercise was not only a training opportunity, but also a sign of importance of the relationships among the participating nations. The U.S. Army and the Baltic States conducted an opening ceremony for Saber Strike 2011 at the Ādaži Training Area in October 18.

Saber Strike 2012

Saber Strike 2012 involved approximately 2,000 troops from 8 countries. This was a second Saber Strike exercise program (scheduled from June 10–22), and was part of an cooperative training effort primarily focused on the three nations of the Baltic States. This exercise prepared participants to operate successfully in a joint, multinational, integrated environment with host-nation support from civil and governmental agencies.

Saber Strike would consists of situational training exercises and a field training exercise taking place at the Ādaži Training Area. A command post exercise would be conducted at various sites in Estonia, including one near Tapa. In addition to the U.S. Army Europe, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, other participants were included: Canada, Finland, France and the United Kingdom.

Units from U.S. Army Europe included the U.S. 21st Theater Sustainment Command, the U.S. 2nd Cavalry Regiment and the U.S. Pennsylvania Army National Guard are participating with a company of Strykers which were flown into Latvia. The U.S. Michigan Air National Guard was participating with American KC-135 and A-10 aircraft who were providing close air support. An company of the U.S. 4th Marine Division was also there, with a joint terminal air controller (JTAC) team from the U.S. Washington Air National Guard.

Saber Strike 2013

Saber Strike 2013 was for the third time conducted at various training areas in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The exercise was scheduled from June 3–14, participating nations and units included approximately 2,000 troops from 14 countries. Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, France, the United Kingdom, NATO's Multinational Corps Northeast (Germany, Poland and Denmark), and the United States. Norway and Sweden send observers.

Units from U.S. Army Europe included the Contingency Command Post (CCP), Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC), U.S. 5th Signal Command, U.S. 21st Theater Sustainment Command, U.S. 18th Engineer Brigade, U.S. 234th Engineer Detachment, U.S. Pennsylvania and Utah Army National Guard. U.S. Air Forces in Europe; Michigan, Washington and Pennsylvania Air National Guard, and the U.S. Army Cadet Command.

U.S. Army Europe's contingency command post was located in Pabradė in Lithuania, and integrated a new system, the Multilateral Interoperable Program, which serves as a conduit to translate data and information systems from the command posts of differing nations.

Saber Strike 2014

A U.S. National Guardsman in Afghanistan

Saber Strike 2014 was for the fourth time conducted, as multilateral security cooperation exercise (scheduled from June 9–20) at locations throughout the Baltic region. During the three-week exercise troops from 10 countries including the United States, would practice techniques and protocols for coordinating action in defense and assault operations.

This year's objective was to facilitate cooperation among the U.S., Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia by improving joint operational capability in a range of missions as well as prepare the participating nations and units to support multilateral contingency operations. A U.S. Army Europe-led exercise, Saber Strike is again supported by joint and total force service members from the U.S. Air Force and the Army and Air National Guards.

Saber Strike 2014 would become the largest-ever exercise, with 4,700 troops and over 800 military vehicles, such as M2 Bradley, M1126 Stryker, and various APCs: XA-180, XA-202, and M113 taking part in the training.

At the same time Russian maneuvers were conducted in the Kaliningrad Region. The surprise training of first strike forces using naval groups, marines, landing operations of airborne forces, air defense training and firing exercise of front-line aviation.

Saber Strike 2015

Saber Strike 2015 was scheduled from June 8–19. It strike force continues to grow, as countries on Europe's eastern flank register concern about Russian aggression in the Ukraine. This year's exercise includes approximately 6,000 troops from 13 countries.

The latest version of the exercise included troops from Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, the United Kingdom and the United States. In addition to Poland, the exercise included operations in Latvia and Lithuania, countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union and have joined NATO.[1]

References

  1. ↑ "Saber Strike | U.S. Army in Europe". www.eur.army.mil. Retrieved 2015-06-15.

External links

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