U.S. Troops Unveil Plans Involving 26 Nations Worldwide

The next Defender 23 exercise will begin on April 22, and the deputy press secretary for the Pentagon announced on Wednesday that as many as 9,000 military men from the United States might participate.

At a briefing at the Pentagon, Sabrina Singh said that the yearly exercise would emphasize the strategic deployment of troops based in the United States, the usage of Army pre-positioned supplies, and interoperability with European friends and partners. This would need a commitment of labor equal to around two months.

Since 2021, preparations have been underway for the Defender 23 exercise, directed by the United States Army across Europe and Africa. The purpose of the exercise is to show the capability of the United States military to swiftly deploy soldiers and equipment ready for action to reassure friends, discourage those who would undermine the peace in Europe, and defend the continent against an assault. 

During this exercise, it is clear that European states want to improve their military might as well as their skills and capacity to cooperate.

According to Singh, the exercise will take place in ten different countries throughout Europe and include “about 9,000 individuals from the United States as well as approximately 17,000 troops from 26 ally and partner nations.”

Singh reported that the first shipment of equipment to assist the drill would arrive in Spain this week. She said the United States had sent 7,000 pieces of equipment to the European theater of operations. During Defender 23, more than 13,000 pieces of equipment will be utilized.

In addition to the United States of America, the following countries will also be sending military personnel to participate in Defender 23: Spain, France, Armenia, Bosnia and Kosovo, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Netherlands, Denmark, Estonia, Albania, Georgia, North Macedonia, Germany, Czechia, Greece, Sweden, Hungary, Italy, Moldova, Poland, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom are some of the countries that are represented here.