Tallinn. May 5. INTERFAX-The US exercise in Europe "Swift Response" (Swift Response) will begin on Wednesday evening in Estonia with live firing at the Central Range of the Defense Forces.
The field artillery of the 41st Brigade of the US Army will fire more than 10 missiles from multiple rocket launchers. During the shooting, fire control and coordination between different units and headquarters will be practiced, the press service of the General Staff of the Estonian Defense Forces reported.
On the evening of May 7, the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States will make an air landing at Nurmse airfield. The main part of the paratroopers will be delivered to Estonia directly from the United States, from North Carolina. The landing party will be thrown out at night in a tactical situation as close as possible to the real one.
During the day and night of May 8, American troops will be transferred by helicopter from Nurmse to the Central Training Ground, the report says.
From the Estonian units, the 1st Infantry Brigade will take part in the exercise, along with the NATO Allied combat group stationed in the country and the Special Operations Command.
The Swift Response exercise is the prologue to the US Defender Europe 21 exercise series, the largest US exercise in Europe in the past 25 years. They will be held simultaneously in 16 European countries with the participation of 28,000 military personnel. In addition to Estonia, airborne operations will take place in Bulgaria and Romania.
Within the framework of Swift Response, Estonia's protection in the event of a crisis situation is being worked out. The exercise will involve about 2,500 members of the Estonian, US and UK Defence Forces, more than 20 aircraft and 25 helicopters. Their goal is to work out the rapid transfer of US forces to hot spots, as well as the readiness of national forces and infrastructure to receive allies.
