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Jun 11 2021

Arrc SUPPORT NATO CAPACITY BUILDING IN THE BLACK SEA REGION AS PART OF EXERCISE DEFENDER EUROPE 21

From Jun 10 to 14 approximately 400 soldiers from Headquarters Multinational Corps South East (MNC-SE), supported by troops from the ARRC in the United Kingdom and V Corps from the US Army Europe and Africa as well as specialists form NATO's MARCOM are deployed in Bucharest, Romania, to support the newest NATO Land Corps Headquarters achieve their Initial Operation Capability (IOC). 

Complimenting a week-long academics program already provided to the staff of HQ MNC-SE, the personnel from ARRC and MARCOM will be supporting and mentoring MNC-SE during their first ever CPX which forms part of the US exercise DEFENDER Europe 21. The exercise brings together US and NATO troops stretching from the Black Sea region and the Mediterranean in the South up to the Baltic Sea region in the North. It is a major training event in which HQ MNC-SE's aim, with the support of the ARRC, is to increase interoperability and readiness in a multinational training environment. 

Academics has proved really useful, we have all benefited from the experience, and will all take home valuable lessons.
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The build-up program has brought together world-class scholars, thought leaders and military professionals to best examine how the Alliance can meet the threats and challenges together across all its dimensions. This comprehensive package practiced how multiple nations in the Alliance support each other and share thinking about how they intend to operate, compete, deter and fight together on land, air and sea. This forms part of persistent engagement efforts around NATO's borders, which is a key line of effort for NATO, MARCOM and HQ ARRC. 

On Jun 10, 2021 the CPX got underway with an official opening ceremony presided over by the newly promoted Lieutenant General Tomiţă-Cătălin TOMESCU. As the staff now begin to exercise their formations during the exercise, HQ ARRC personnel will provide their knowledge and experience to MNC-SE's headquarters, increasing the integration of NATO's defence. This cooperation between HQ MNC-SE and HQ ARRC is based on the Mutual Training Support Agreement (MTSA) through which HQ ARRC provides support and expertise to MNC-SE in order to achieve IOC on completion of DEFENDER Europe 21.

After months of planning and two weeks of integration, it's great to get started. Everyone is keen to put the lessons learned into practice during the CPX. 
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During the CPX, HQ MNC-SE will plan, execute and lead a defensive operation, exercising command and control of Romanian and allied forces in cooperation with partner nation forces. The exercise scenario includes high-intensity combat operations on Romanian territory organized within the framework of the Romanian - US strategic partnership.

DEFENDER-Europe is an annual large-scale US Army-led, multinational and joint exercise designed to build readiness and interoperability between US, NATO and partner militaries. This year the exercise integrates approximately 28,000 multinational forces from 26 nations to conduct near simultaneous operations across more than 30 training areas in 12 countries.

Story by Allied Rapid Reaction Corps Public Affairs Office

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United Kingdom