On Exercise DACIAN FALL 25 NATO’s multinational battlegroup in Romania practised rapid reinforcement of the Alliance’s eastern flank.
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NATO forces in Romania recently demonstrated their ability to expand from a multinational battlegroup to an armoured brigade, quickly absorbing thousands of French Army troops for exercise DACIAN FALL 25.
NATO battlegroups routinely practise these expansions to ensure that member countries are ready and able to rush reinforcements east, should a crisis arise. Each exercise strengthens the skills and procedures that enable this rapid deployment. This exercise included troops from Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain and the United States. The troops worked together to tackle battlefield scenarios and strengthen communications.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Romania has hosted a NATO multinational battlegroup led by France, that also includes Belgium, Spain and Luxembourg. The exercise ran from 20 October to 13 November.
This recently released NATO Multimedia B-roll footage includes tanks manoeuvring across the battlefield, various NATO infantry troops in action and soundbites from Brigadier General Maxime Do Tran, Commander, 7th Armoured Brigade, French Army, and Lieutenant Colonel Valentin Mihalache, Commander, 2nd Mechanised Infantry Battalion Călugăreni, Romanian Army.
Shot list:-
- 00:00 ~ Romanian Piranha V infantry fighting vehicle drives past, in and out of frame
- 00:04 ~ French Army VBCI infantry fighting vehicle drives past, view through undergrowth, soldiers stand atop hill in the background
- 00:11 ~ Romanian Piranha V IFV drives past, in and out of frame
- 00:18 ~ Vehicles manoeuvre over terrain, surrounding hills and landscape seen in background
- 00:41 ~ Romanian soldiers disembark from the back of a Mowag Piranha armoured vehicle
- 00:47 ~ Romanian tank TR-85M1 drives past, in and out of frame
- 00:55 ~ Two Romanian MLI-84 infantry fighting vehicles manoeuvre downhill and across terrain
- 01:15 ~ Romanian soldiers discussing techniques in front of a Romanian MLI-84 infantry fighting vehicle
- 01:20 ~ Romanian soldier standing on a Romanian MLI-84 infantry fighting vehicle
- 01:27 ~ IAR 330 helicopter flies past and out of frame
- 01:33 ~ Romanian MLI-84s manoeuvre across terrain
- 01:47 ~ Portuguese army soldiers prepare .50 calibre machine gun atop infantry fighting vehicle
- 02:52 ~ Drone operator soldier kneels as he prepares drones, which are spread out around him on the ground
- 03:01 ~ Portuguese soldier in gunners seat prepares weapon and takes aim
- 03:10 ~ Soldiers lying down and kneeling, taking position and moving across terrain
- 04:04 ~ Soldiers assemble behind tank
- 04:12 ~ Soldier closes one door of vehicle
- 04:19 ~ Soldiers crossing the terrain
- 04:29 ~ Artillery impact
- 04:40 ~ Vehicles from North Macedonia and France manoeuvre past and out of frame
- 05:01 ~ Tanks, artillery and armoured vehicles in position on the battleground firing weapons
- 05:38 ~ French VBCI manoeuvres across terrain – French flag seen in the far distance
- 06:00 ~ Smoke-filled battleground with various vehicles in position firing weapons
- 06:30 ~ Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopters fly past
- 06:35 ~ Soundbite, in Romanian ~ Lieutenant Colonel Valentin Mihalache, Commander, 2nd Mechanised Infantry Battalion Călugăreni, Romanian Army: “At the end of this major exercise, that is, the moment we reach the barracks, the first step that I personally will take will be to update the procedure with what I learned from our Allies from France, Poland, Portugal, North Macedonia. This is, I think, the biggest objective. In addition to the objectives of the exercise, I consider that this is the most important thing. We managed to see the good things, we managed to see the bad things, and at the end of the day, we managed to improve everything we have done so far.”
- 07:10 ~ Soundbite, in French ~ Brigadier General Maxime Do Tran, Commander, 7th Armoured Brigade, French Army: “This exercise is important because, firstly, it allows us to train in realistic conditions. Secondly, it’s important because we’re actually deploying here, and that shows that NATO is capable of deploying its troops here in a very short time. And finally, it’s a demonstration of strategic solidarity, particularly towards the Romanians, with whom we work daily within the framework of France’s national cooperation.”
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