UDINE, Italy — The European Union’s major Battle Group will this month launch a key\u00a0exercise in Italy ahead of a six-month tour of duty as it expands its membership to five European countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Troops, tanks and assault helicopters will be involved when Italy,\u00a0Hungary, Slovenia, Austria and Croatia hold the exercise, dubbed “European Wind,”\u00a0in northern Italy in November before starting a rotation as the EU’s\u00a0on-call Battle Group \u2014 its third rotation to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The group, which was formed in 2007 by Italy, Hungary and Slovenia, is\u00a0adding new members Austria and Croatia, with Albania taking observer\u00a0status, resulting in an increase in troop strength to 2,500, the\u00a0majority of which are Italian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The exercise comes at an interesting moment for the Battle Group\u00a0concept, which was launched a decade ago, but has failed to fully take<\/p>\n\n\n\n
off as countries balk at paying for a six-month rotation when the\u00a0EU has yet to deploy a formation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That changed this year when the UK \u2014 a chief opponent of the idea of an\u00a0EU defense capability \u2014 voted to leave the Union, prompting Italy,\u00a0Germany and France to re-propose the concept, complete with a beefed-up\u00a0headquarters in Brussels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That drew a cautious welcome from NATO, which may see its ability to\u00a0draw on member assets threatened if the EU makes demands for rival\u00a0missions. Reasserting its role, NATO called on European troops to deploy\u00a0to the Baltic states in a show of strength against Russia’s recent\u00a0aggressive posturing.
Meanwhile, the Italy-based Battle Group is picking up momentum and\u00a0offering itself as a model should European leaders get serious.
“We’ve been doing this for years and it’s bread and butter for us now,”\u00a0said Italian Brig. Gen. Paolo Fabbri. “If people are curious<\/p>\n\n\n\n
after Brexit about EU Battle Groups, they can spend some time here.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fabbri is commander of Italy’s Giulia Brigade, based in Udine in\u00a0northern Italy, which has taken a lead in the Battle Group, hosting a<\/p>\n\n\n\n
permanent group of Hungarian and Slovenian officers at its HQ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The group is a natural evolution from an existing\u00a0Italo-Hungarian-Slovenian Multinational Land Force, which was set up in\u00a02002 as a defensive response by the nations t instability in the Balkans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That means the group is the only permanent, multinational force offered\u00a0up for Battle Group duty, whereas others have come together on an ad-hoc\u00a0basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We are the only permanent multinational force supplying the EU Battle\u00a0Groups, and that’s key,” said Lt. Col. Andrea Bettella, chief of staff<\/p>\n\n\n\n
of Italy’s Giulia army brigade, which numbers 5,000 troops. The unit has carried\u00a0out tours in Afghanistan and the Balkans and specializes in mountain\u00a0warfare.
When on call, Battle Groups are expected to be ready to deploy 1,500\u00a0troops within ten days up to 6,000 km from Europe. Apart from the\u00a0
November training, the units making up the Italian-led Battle Group will\u00a0remain in their own countries while on call during their rotation next\u00a0year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hungarian units for the MLF and Battle Group are drawn from the army’s\u00a05th brigade, while Slovenian units hail from the country’s 1st and 72nd\u00a0army brigades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Italians may use Beretta rifles, the Hungarians upgraded AK-47s and\u00a0the Slovenians’ Belgian FN F2000s, but the biggest challenge is<\/p>\n\n\n\n
communicating in “Combat English”, said Fabbri.\u00a0The MLF uses NATO standards and the EU instructed the\u00a0Udine-based unit\u00a0to do the same\u00a0when it shifts to Battle Group duty, unless told otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The live-fire European Wind exercise will create a hypothetical\u00a0intervention along a border to keep two countries apart following a\u00a0fragile peace deal and provide backup to UN peacekeepers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Italy, Hungary and Slovenia will contribute combat troops as well as\u00a0military police and other support staff, while Austria and Italy<\/p>\n\n\n\n
will provide helicopters, including Italian AW129 assault helicopters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Italy will also provide its Lince vehicles, Centauro wheeled tanks,\u00a0while Hungary will provide BTR80 armored vehicles, and Slovenia will use\u00a0its Valuk armored vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mortars, howitzers and a Stinger battery will also be deployed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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