{"id":16106,"date":"2021-03-15T20:41:55","date_gmt":"2021-03-15T20:41:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/03\/15\/massive-army-led-nato-exercise-defender-europe-kicks-off\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:59:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:59:14","slug":"massive-army-led-nato-exercise-defender-europe-kicks-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2021\/03\/15\/massive-army-led-nato-exercise-defender-europe-kicks-off\/","title":{"rendered":"Massive, Army-led NATO exercise Defender Europe kicks off"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

One of the largest U.S.-Army led military exercises in decades has kicked off and will run until June, with 28,000 total troops from 27 nations taking part. Defender Europe<\/a> 2021 will include \u201cnearly simultaneous operations across more than 30 training areas\u201d in a dozen countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exercise is the deployment of a division-size force from the United States to Europe, pulling equipment from Army prepositioned stocks, then moving personnel and equipment across the theater to multiple training areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year\u2019s exercise was planned to be the largest NATO exercise in Europe in 25 years but had to be scaled back <\/a>due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even so, U.S. and allied forces managed to conduct some of the planned drills and joint exercises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s wider-ranging exercise will include COVID restrictions and monitoring but will span the Balkans and the Black Sea region and use key ground and maritime routes that bridge Europe, Asia and Africa, according to a U.S. Army Europe and Africa statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t