Exercise SABER JUNCTION 20 brought together six NATO Allies and three Partners in Germany to test the US Army response force in Europe.
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Exercise SABER JUNCTION 20 brought together six NATO Allies and three partners in Germany to test the readiness of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, the US Army’s response force in Europe, from 3rd to 27th August 2020.
The exercise saw the 173rd Airborne Brigade quickly mass troops via airborne infiltration and attack objectives. Participating nations included Albania, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Republic of Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania, Ukraine and the United States. To keep participants safe, the US Army conducted regular COVID-19 tests throughout the exercise area.
This NATO Multimedia footage, captured on 19th and 20th August, includes shots of Romanian and Georgian troops defending positions while US soldiers with the 173rd Airborne Brigade simulated attacks, plus interviews with US and Georgian officers:-
- (00:00) US soldier putting on night vision glasses
- (00:08) Romanian soldiers manning fighting position
- (00:23) Us Opposing Force soldier in an Armoured Personnel Carrier
- (00:35) Georgian soldiers running across a street
- (00:41) US Army 173rd Airborne soldiers
- (00:57) US soldier holding an anti-tank missile
- (01:00) US Army 173rd Airborne moving and firing weapons
- (01:30) US Army 173rd Airborne carrying javelin anti-tank missiles
- (01:44) US Army 173rd Airborne attacking an objective
- (02:10) US Army 173rd Airborne firing weapons and moving
- (02:25) US Army 173rd Airborne attacking an objective
- (02:48) US soldier taking cover
- (02:50) Georgian soldier loading and firing a weapon
- (02:55) Georgian soldier taking cover in a house
- (02:59) Georgian soldiers firing weapons from a house
- (03:25) CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter approaching a landing zone
- (03:28) UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopter
- (03:33) CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter
- (03:39) UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopter
- (03:54) US opposing force soldiers man a defensive position
- (03:58) US Army 173rd Airborne advancing on an objective
- (04:02) US Army 173rd Airborne attacking an objective
- (04:26) US soldier talking on the radio
- (04:32) Romanian shoulder patch
- (04:35) Romanian soldiers taking cover in the woods
- (04:58) Romanian soldier aiming a sniper rifle from a tower
- (05:05) Romanian soldiers taking defensive positions on a rooftop
- (05:08) Georgian soldiers taking cover and guarding a house
- (05:41) US soldiers launch a Puma unmanned aerial vehicle
- (05:52) US soldiers controlling a Puma
- (06:04) US air defence soldiers preparing a shoulder-launched anti-air missile
- (06:18) Soldiers getting tested for COVID-19
- (07:11) Soundbite – Captain Ryan Lee, Commander, Battle Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, US Army. “SABER JUNCTION, the exercise itself is important because it tests our strategic relationships and our friendships that we have here in Germany. Specifically, it gives us an opportunity to cross-train and cross new technologies in response to contingency operations as we are forward deployed here in Europe.”
- (07:25) Soundbite – Captain Ryan Lee. “The rules and responsibilities for the 173rd being forward-stationed in Europe allow us to rapidly respond to contingency operations in the theatre. We have the ability to rapidly mass and build combat power throughout the Mediterranean as well as some other areas of interest that our nation requires our effort.”
- (07:40) Soundbite – Captain Ryan Lee. “By having a forward stage ready response force, it allows us and our partners to be rest assured that the United States is here to stay and that we’re committed allies and partners going forward.”
- (07:50) Soundbite – 1st Lieutenant Ichkiti, Georgian Army. “It’s going to be a good experience for myself and my soldiers to see how the allies work, especially the US military and also all the other militaries who are participating in this exercise.”
