Latest news with #militaryexercise
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
We got an inside look at how frontline NATO allies would fight Russia
BI observed Finnish and Polish forces in an exercise simulating a tactical air landing operation. One team seized a strategically located airfield while another had to counterattack and retake it. These kinds of operations are a top Russian military tactic and could prove decisive in a conflict. PYHTÄÄ, Finland — The young soldiers wear dark camouflage and green and black face paint to blend in with the dense forest common on NATO's eastern flank. These conscripts, members of the 3rd Jaeger Company, a unit within the Finnish Army's Pori Brigade, carry anti-tank missile launchers, large mines, and assault rifles. One soldier looks at a paper map, and another calls in instructions on the radio as they scout out recently seized enemy positions. From the nearby road, they cannot be seen. The Finnish soldiers are conducting surveillance operations, but the enemy is not real. It's part of an exercise simulating their reaction to the capture of a strategic airfield, a critical operation that's an expected element of a Russian invasion. Lively Sabre 25, which took place in southern Finland over the past few days, is an element of NATO's larger Swift Response 25 exercise. This event is a series of joint military drills across the Baltic and Nordic regions designed to facilitate cooperation among allies and deter what they see as a serious Russian threat to the east. During Lively Sabre, a "red team," consisting of Polish airborne forces and Finnish troops, executed a tactical air landing operation at an airstrip in the forest. Paratroopers rapidly seized a strategically located airfield, aiming to hold it and bring in the infantry and heavy weapons to launch a lightning assault from it; Russia used similar tactics in a close battle outside Kyiv in 2022. The 3rd Jaeger Company was part of a "blue team" made up entirely of Finnish troops whose mission was to contain the so-called airhead and then mass strength to retake the site — an operation where time is of the essence. Finland doesn't have an airbone brigade in its military structure, so the exercise is a good opportunity to train on battling paratroopers and learn from skilled professionals — in this case, the Polish forces — how to prepare for a tactical air landing, set up a perimeter around the airfield, and defend the site. Establishing an airhead is not an easy operation, especially in an era of widespread sensors and sophisticated air defenses that can detect and destroy an assault force before it lands. "It's extremely difficult," Col. Matti Honko, the commanding officer of Finland's Guard Jaeger Regiment and the director of Lively Sabre, told Business Insider on the sidelines of the exercise. "There needs to be suppression of the air defense, and there has to be air superiority. You have to be able to actually do lots of things before you can do that." Brig. Gen. Michal Strzelecki, the commander of Poland's 6th Airborne Brigade, which led the tactical air landing, said these operations have become even more difficult now than they were in past years. But having the airborne capabilities is still crucial, especially in the early phases of a conflict, when enemy air defenses aren't necessarily ready. The rapid deployment of troops could make all the difference. "Having that kind of capability is essential," Strzelecki told BI at the Pyhtää airfield. The ability to seize an airstrip and hold the position is important, as is the ability to dislodge it from under enemy control. NATO knows this because Ukraine demonstrated it three years ago, early on in its defense against Russia's full-scale invasion. Russian forces tried to capture the Hostomel airport on the outskirts of Kyiv amid their initial push to capture the Ukrainian capital city. This would have given Moscow a decisive advantage, as the Kremlin could have then airlifted more troops, artillery, and fighting vehicles to strike Kyiv from a minimal distance. Russian helicopters carrying assault troops made an initial assault, but they were met with fierce resistance from Ukraine's military. After hours of heavy fighting and counterattacks, Kyiv eventually controlled the airfield. Swift Response 25, which falls under NATO's larger series of exercises this summer, called Defender, comes as the military alliance grows increasingly concerned with Russia and its behavior across Europe, which Western officials have described as malign and aggressive. Allies, especially those along the northern and eastern flanks, like the Baltic states, are watching the Ukraine war closely. They are investing a lot in their defense capabilities by increasing their military spending, buying up weapons, and reinforcing their borders. European nations are also anxious about US reliability. Finland joined NATO just over two years ago, while Poland has been a member for more than two decades. Both share borders with Russia, so they bring an important perspective to the alliance as countries on its front lines. They are well aware of the Russian threat. Strzelecki said the Lively Sabre exercise helps Poland better integrate its forces with Finland. "Finland is a new member of the alliance, so we want to interact with them, we want to train with them, we want to share our experience and also learn from the Finnish Army," he said. "Finland has a long tradition of defending against possible aggression from their neighbor." Indeed, Russia has recently increased its military presence along its shared 830-mile-long border with Finland. Should a clash occur between NATO and Moscow, the region could become a major hot spot. Honko said Finland's accession to NATO in 2023 has already lifted the threshold of threats, and exercises like Lively Sabre are a key element of deterrence that's needed to avoid a real shooting war. "We are in the first line, but then, I think we have a very long tradition of defending our own area by ourselves, and that hasn't changed. In a way, we are a security provider, and not a security consumer," Honko said. Still, he added, "We need the alliance if the day comes, and we can deal with the problem together." Read the original article on Business Insider
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Australian F-35s, UK carrier strike group to feature in Five Power Defence drills
Australia 's stealth fighter jets and a British aircraft carrier will take part in the major warfighting exercise of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) later this year, defence chiefs from the five-nation pact said on Thursday, as the group aims to enhance its preparedness in an increasingly competitive region. Advertisement The annual Exercise Bersama Lima will showcase 'a range of high-end, war-fighting exercises' and involve 'advanced assets such as the F-35s from the Australian Air Force as well as the UK aircraft carrier,' said vice-admiral Aaron Beng, Singapore's defence chief, after chairing a conference of defence chiefs from the five countries. New Zealand , Established in 1971 following Britain's military withdrawal from east of the Suez Canal, the FPDA, the world's second-oldest military pact, comprises Australia, Malaysia Singapore , and the UK. Its original purpose was to help defend former colonies Malaysia and Singapore during a period of regional instability, and its members are obliged to consult each other in the event of an armed attack. Beng's Australian counterpart, Admiral David Johnston, called the F-35s a core capability of Australia's defence and welcomed opportunities for collaborative training to strengthen relationships. 'In part, some of the capabilities change, but it's equally important that the people who are the core of those capabilities continue to come into the region and be part of the training environment,' said Johnston. Advertisement Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom Admiral Tony Radakin said that the last time a UK aircraft carrier was involved in an FPDA exercise was in 1997.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Coast Guard recovers all missing Lake Michigan pyrotechnics
The Brief All four phosphorus pyrotechnics missing from a late-May military exercise on Lake Michigan have been recovered, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday night. One device was found by a lifeguard at Montrose Beach in Chicago on May 26; the locations of the other three have not been disclosed. The flares, used in a joint exercise near Milwaukee, failed to activate and can emit red smoke and flames of up to 2,900°F. CHICAGO - All four phosphorus pyrotechnics that went missing during a military training exercise on Lake Michigan have been recovered, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday night. What we know Officials have not released further details about where three of the devices were recovered. One was found by a lifeguard at Montrose Beach in Chicago on May 26. The devices, which produce red smoke and flames reaching temperatures of up to 2,900 degrees Fahrenheit, were part of a joint military exercise held offshore near Milwaukee in late May. The four pyrotechnics were deployed during the exercise but failed to activate upon entering the water, the Coast Guard said. We'll provide updates as more information becomes available. RELATED: Coast Guard warns Lake Michigan beachgoers of unaccounted pyrotechnics
Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Trump could withdraw troops from Europe. His army has other ideas
As a handful of Fox Battery US Marines fired up their Himars alongside Royal Horse Artillery Gunners loading up their MLRS, they knew they were about to make defence history. For the first time, British and American troops were to use their signature multiple launch rocket systems simultaneously. It would also be the first time either would be fired on the strategic Swedish island of Gotland, less than 200 miles from the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad and its Baltic fleet. Five loud thuds boomed across the firing range as the dummy rockets streaked through the early morning sky before disappearing from sight somewhere in the Baltic Sea: a successful launch. These joint US-European military exercises are being held against the backdrop of a souring in relationships between the US and its Nato allies since Donald Trump became president again in January. But when asked what he thinks of his commander-in-chief this week having a two-hour phone call with Vladimir Putin, the leader of the country that is the unspoken enemy at the heart of all of these military exercises, American Capt Justin Miller shrugs. 'We're training with Nato' 'Regardless of what's going on, we're out here, we're training with Nato,' he says. 'We're in Sweden at the moment, Norway yesterday and we're gonna go to Finland in a few days. And we're gonna continue to do so until told otherwise.' '[The Nato alliance] still feels strong to me.' Mr Trump has repeatedly accused Europe of riding on the US's coat tails in terms of defence spending and has praised Russian leader Putin rather than punishing him for invading Ukraine. At the Munich Security Conference in February, JD Vance, the US vice-president, made headlines by saying the greatest threat facing the continent was not from Russia but 'from within', adding that Europe needed to 'step up' and provide for its own defence. Shortly afterwards, Pete Hegseth, the defence secretary, was revealed to have described Europe as 'pathetic' freeloaders in a leaked chat on the messaging service Signal. He has also warned American military presence in Europe is not 'forever.' The slew of unprecedented criticism has led to speculation that Europe can no longer rely on the US to protect it from Russia and that the Nato alliance is on its last legs. But the political schisms do not appear to have filtered through to the US military, which has 84,000 service members posted in more than 40 bases across the Continent. 'The political leaders are gonna do their thing, I will say that from what I've seen, we haven't changed at all,' explains Lt Col Zach Leuthardt, a public affairs officer for the US Marines in Europe and Africa. 'It's hard to tell at our level that the things that are going on at the political level are happening. It doesn't affect us. We are committed to the alliance.' The drills on Gotland are part of the Swift Response phase of the US's annual Defender series – officially known as the Dynamic Employment of Forces to Europe for Nato Deterrence and Enhanced Readiness exercise. Over the next six weeks, some 12,000 US troops – including 5,000 arriving from the States – will buddy up with 13,000 European and Nato ally soldiers to practise everything from live firing and river crossings to using drones to resupply a field hospital with blood. It's a huge undertaking that is designed to showcase US-European cohesion and interoperability – defence ministry jargon for how well different countries' armies can work together. 'We haven't scaled it down' Lt Col Leuthardt has been based in the US European Command's headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, since last July. He said the election of Mr Trump last November hasn't affected anything in his work. 'Nothing on our schedule from the time I've got here has changed. We haven't scaled it down. Nobody's gone home. 'We've got a fresh batch of new people coming in this summer to take on those roles and continue the planning. So from my operational and tactical level, nothing's really changed for us.' The fact that live fire drills are being held on Gotland for the first time is telling given its strategic importance in protecting the Baltics from Moscow. 'It's a very good sign from the US defence forces that they want to do this security signal together with us towards the Russians,' said Peter Hulqvist, Sweden's former defence minister from 2014-22 and now chair of the defence committee. 'It continues the co-operation that we built up with the United States some years before.' The drill also involved British 16th Air Assault Brigade soldiers parachuting in and fighting off the 'enemy' (local Swedish troops) to secure a tactical landing zone for the Himars and MLRS. Watching the UK's elite paras jump out of an A400 plane and float gently down to the green field below, Lt Col Leuthardt had glowing words of praise for the US's European partners – especially the British. 'We have the same values' 'It's like working with other Americans,' he says. 'It's super-simple and they're super-professional and we've had a blast. My eyes are open to how well this alliance works together. 'We have the same values: democracy and defence of our nations. It's like hanging out with cousins.' Back at the Tofta firing range, after the historic joint missile launch, US Marines Staff Sgt Caleb Thayer smiles proudly at its success. ' A little bit of shock and awe,' he says. 'We just got off the bird [plane] probably 45 minutes ago. So we were just shooting from the hip and it all went to plan. And that's all we can ask for: good co-operation and communication and everybody gets along, I guess. We're super-happy to be here.'
CTV News
25-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
U.S. military shifts messaging in Africa, telling allies to prepare to stand more on their own
Gen. Michael Langley, USMC, Commander, U.S. Africa Command, center, and Major General Mohammed Berrid, Inspector General of Moroccan Royal Armed Forces, attend the 21st edition of the African Lion military exercise, in Tantan, south of Agadir, Morocco, Friday, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
