| Tango01 | 04 Sep 2014 9:51 p.m. PST |
"
The U.S. military has no plans to cancel a huge training exercise set to take place in western Ukraine in mid-September, despite a tense situation still remaining in the east of the country. Exercise Rapid Trident 2014 will take place Sep. 15-26 at a training center near Yavoriv, with 1,300 troops participating from the U.S., Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Canada, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, along with NATO representatives. The exercise, taking place far from contested areas in the east such as Donetsk and Mariupol, will not involve any live-fire, a statement from European Command said. The statement also made clear the exercise was planned long before clashes between Ukraine military troops and pro-Russian separatists took place…"
Full article here
link A little danger… Amicalement
Armand |
| Deadone | 04 Sep 2014 10:06 p.m. PST |
One would think it would be saner to cancel this exercise lest more paranoid souls think it a cover for military intervention. After all those paranoid souls are experts at "maskirovka" and might view the exercise as the same thing. |
| GeoffQRF | 04 Sep 2014 10:48 p.m. PST |
The statement also made clear the exercise was planned long before clashes between Ukraine military troops and pro-Russian separatists took place. It does seem a little antagonistic, in the current environment. I'd ( interested to know exactly how far back this was planned to take place within Ukraine… |
| Ascent | 04 Sep 2014 10:50 p.m. PST |
How long until separatists claim to have captured American forces fighting for Ukraine? |
| Deadone | 04 Sep 2014 11:12 p.m. PST |
Rapid Trident is held every year. It was originally known as Peace Shield. I think the original exercises were started in the mid-1990s but could be wrong. But despite this history, should they really be pursuing it in the current climate? Just because it's planned doesn't mean it has to happen. Or is simply more bureaucratic "sleep walking" or is it actively making a statement? |
| GeoffQRF | 05 Sep 2014 2:05 a.m. PST |
Having looked into it, it does appear to not only take place every year, but also to take place at Yavoriv in Ukraine every year… Actually just had a look – it's right on the Polish border. The main Polish-Ukrainian border point there is Krokovets. Think I went through there a couple of years ago. They need to watch out that soldiers don't get lost and go wandering around inside Poland… ;-) |
| Rod I Robertson | 05 Sep 2014 2:20 a.m. PST |
Well, on the upside, at least Mr. Putin is not yet declaring his intention of running military exercises in Western Ukraine!
; )
Rod Robertson |
| GeoffQRF | 05 Sep 2014 2:35 a.m. PST |
Thought hed been doing that for the last couple of months? |
| Katzbalger | 05 Sep 2014 4:22 a.m. PST |
No,no--that was just EASTERN Ukraine…uhh, I mean Western Russian, of course. Where's our friendly Russian member when you really need him? Rob |
| Generalstoner49 | 05 Sep 2014 5:43 a.m. PST |
I wonder what kind of message a modern day Reforger exercise would send? If Russia is upset about 200 paras on their doorstep 3-4 divisions deploying to Poland, Ukraine etc would really get their panties in a bunch. |
 Legion 4  | 05 Sep 2014 7:35 a.m. PST |
Sounds like fun … more pieces to move around on the Chess Board ! And who the  came up with a name like "Peace Shield !?!?  The Girl Scouts !!!! I guess it might be too provacative and not PC to call it a more strong forceful aggressive name. To at least maybe show we mean business … glad they changed … but may be a some more a little too late, not enough, etc. … |
| Mako11 | 06 Sep 2014 4:00 p.m. PST |
Can't wait for the over the topic rhetoric against this, to be pronounced soon. |
| Deadone | 07 Sep 2014 5:55 p.m. PST |
wonder what kind of message a modern day Reforger exercise would send? If Russia is upset about 200 paras on their doorstep 3-4 divisions deploying to Poland, Ukraine etc would really get their panties in a bunch. Except NATO and even the USA would struggle with an Exercise Reforger as they no longer have the manpower. We no longer count Western armies in terms of corps or divisions – we count numbers of batallions. The big boys might even have a brigade or two. For example the British Army is half the size it was in 1990 and a quarter of what it was in 1960. It has a mere 2 divisions (one is understrength with only 2 brigades)and an independent air assault brigade. The German Army is much the same – 2 divisions and a brigades worth of batallions assigned to various European joint formations. Compare that to 12 divisions in 1990.
And who the came up with a name like "Peace Shield !?!? The Girl Scouts !!!! I guess it might be too provacative and not PC to call it a more strong forceful aggressive name. To at least maybe show we mean business The purpose of the exercise is to promote ties with non-NATO countries as part of the Partnership For Peace initiative. It has no operational value and is more of a PR/networking excercise . After all it's 1300 troops (that's a reinforced battalion). The focus is usually on things like counter terrorism, logistics, peacekeeping etc. The US has had exercises with Chinese on these kind of things. It doesn't mean they're planning to go to war together, but rather is designed to foster an understanding and promote peaceful relationships by focusing on common denominators. |
| Jemima Fawr | 07 Sep 2014 11:38 p.m. PST |
Russia was a previous participant. Funnily enough, they've cancelled this year's participation. |
| Legion 4 | 08 Sep 2014 2:18 p.m. PST |
The purpose of the exercise is to promote ties with non-NATO countries as part of the Partnership For Peace initiative. Still think it could be more macho, Alpha male, etc. …   |
has been watching some documentaries lately set in the Western Desert, and was inspired to create this...
