The European Special Operations Unit of the United States (SOCEUR) in early May conducted the largest annual exercises together with the military formations of several NATO member countries and partner states. The Trojan Footprint 21 and Black Swan 21 maneuvers, according to Business Insider, were conducted simultaneously to simulate a full-scale conflict with Russia.
Close to combat conditions, the exercises were held in Romania and a number of Eastern European countries. The exercises were aimed at testing the interaction of special forces of different countries in close combat, landing and capturing objects, as well as in the implementation of air support.
Special value in the event of a conflict with Russia, according to the leadership of SOCEUR, should be the special purpose units of the Navy, since " the ideal territory for the operations of these forces could be the Crimea."
- The Russian army has strengthened its presence in this region, turning Crimea into an impregnable fortress at first glance, which protects the southern flank of Russia from land and from the air. The peninsula became the embodiment of the concept of restriction and prohibition of access and maneuver, as a result of which the United States lost its dominance at sea and in the air in this region.
Radar, missile systems and other weapons pose a real threat to ships and aircraft that can not get close to the target at a distance of destruction, - the author writes.
That is why the European special operations unit of the United States is confident that military facilities in the Crimea are " quite logical targets for the Navy seals." They can land on the shore, arrange ambushes, conduct reconnaissance at sea and on land, and participate in underwater special operations.
The exercise was also attended by the crews of the Navy's special purpose combat boats - one of the smallest units of SOCEUR. They specialize in combat operations at sea, special reconnaissance, crossing the front line and evacuating soldiers of other units. During the maneuvers, the crews of combat boats were assigned the task of working out the delivery of "navy seals" to objects in the Crimea. These skills they practiced on the Danube, which is the second largest river in Europe and flows into the Black Sea.
Special forces units from Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Georgia, Hungary, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Spain, Ukraine and the United Kingdom joined the exercise.
Timur Alimov
