Anaconda-16 test for NATO eastern defences - minister
The Tuesday-beginning Anaconda-16 exercise will be a test of NATO's capability to defend its eastern flank, Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz said Monday at the exercise's official opening at Warsaw's National Defence University.
To continue until June 17, Anaconda will be the biggest military exercise after 1989. Participating will be about 31 thousand soldiers from 18 NATO states and five partner countries, including 12,000 Poles.
Also taking part will be units of Poland's newly-formed territorial defence, which is to be incorporated into Poland's regular armed forces.
"Soldiers! Passing your double rows I looked at your faces. I looked at you. I saw the power that is represented by the united allied forces of the North Atlantic Alliance", Macierewicz said. Commenting the Anaconda manoeuvres, Macierewicz reminded that Poland and its region today found themselves in a "difficult situation", which was why the exercise had a predominantly defensive character.
"The aim is to test the ability of the NATO countries to defence the Alliance's eastern flank", the minister said.
United States Army Europe commander and Anakonda-16 coalition forces head General Ben Hodges said Monday in Warsaw that rotating US units in Central-East Europe will bring their own equipment to the region. Hodges added that he expected the rotating units to deploy in all the Baltic countries, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria.
U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley, who attended the opening ceremony, said that the US Army's main aim during the exercise will be to demonstrate its solidarity with Poland and NATO. Reminding about the US Administration's recent decision to raise US military presence in Europe, Milley stressed that NATO had to strengthen its defensive potential to be able to deter potential aggressors.
Anaconda exercises take place biannually since 2006. This year's manoeuvres will focus on coordination between national and allied commanders and units in response to hybrid threats.(PAP)
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