Forward Land Force Slovakia reaches brigade size with over 2,000 troops participating during Exercise STRONG LINEAGE 25.
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NATO forward land force Slovakia became the latest force to test their ability to scale up to a brigade-sized formation, fulfilling the Alliance’s commitment to strengthen deployed forces in Eastern Europe.
Exercise STRONG LINEAGE 25 saw more than 2,000 troops from seven NATO Allies converge near Lešť, Slovakia to test their tactical readiness and command capabilities. To reach brigade strength, more than 650 troops from the Spanish Army’s Galicia VII Brigade augmented the Forward Land Force, which is led by Spain. Other countries that participated in the exercise included Czechia, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Türkiye.
NATO Allies committed to expanding all eight forward land forces in Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia during the 2022 Madrid Summit. Since then, these forward land forces – each of which is led by a framework nation and supplemented by troop rotations from different Allies – have trained hard to learn how to effectively absorb and control those forces, improving their ability to respond to a crisis on NATO’s borders.
This NATO Multimedia footage, filmed in early June and released on Monday, includes shots of the rapid deployment of an artillery gun and the use of bomb detection devices and explosive materials plus soundbites from Spanish Army General Alfonso Pardo, commander of the NATO Forward Land Forces Slovakia and Spanish Army Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Alonso Ruperez.
Shot list:-
- 00:00 ~ Spanish troops disembarking from military vehicle, detaching and preparing artillery gun
- 01:15 ~ Soldiers listen to instructor; one trainee lies in position on table
- 01:24 ~ Soldier lying in position on table, rifle in hand taking aim and firing
- 02:01 ~ Training facility
- 02:09 ~ Soldier lying in position on rooftop, rifle in hand, taking aim and firing
- 02:24 ~ View of building/target through rifle scope
- 02:30 ~ Instructor sets scope for soldier to look through
- 02:43 ~ Soldier sits in chair, behind rifle on tripod, taking aim and firing
- 02:47 ~ Instructor assists a soldier to secure explosive device to door, they retreat and the device/door explodes
- 03:25 ~ Instructor oversees soldiers as they secure explosive device to door, device/door explodes
- 04:10 ~ Two soldiers seen through the hole in door left by the explosion
- 04:15 ~ Soldiers wearing gas masks, carrying various detection devices, filing downstairs, entering rooms checking for explosive materials
- 05:12 ~ Soldiers stand, encircling instructor who is demonstrating explosive detection equipment
- 05:51 ~ VRC-105 Centauro anti-tank vehicle firing
- 06:43 ~ Sunrise, tanks seen on the training battleground
- 06:57 ~ Soldiers seen loading and launching artillery guns
- 07:31 ~ Multiple military vehicles on the training battleground
- 07:40 ~ Soundbite – Spanish Army General Alfonso Pardo, Commander NATO Forward Land Forces Slovakia
- 08:15 ~ Soundbite – Spanish Army General Alfonso Pardo
- 08:51 ~ Soundbite – Spanish Army Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Alonso Ruperez, Commander Forward Land Force Battalion
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