NATO partners are set to commence Exercise Formidable Shield 2023 on May 8, a biennial event that will showcase the strength of the alliance and its commitment to the defense of Europe. Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh stated that the exercise would involve 13 NATO allied and partner nations, with over 4,000 personnel, 20 ships, and 35 aircraft, including the F-35. Formidable Shield 2023 is a live-fire joint and combined integrated air and missile defense environment exercise that demonstrates allied interoperability using NATO command and control structures.
NEWS: @NATO Partners Prepare to Kick Off ‘Formidable Shield’ Exercise https://t.co/yO63XTk2u3
— Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) May 5, 2023
The event, which will last for three weeks, will also involve live-fire rehearsal events in a multidomain environment against subsonic, supersonic, and ballistic targets. Singh also discussed the temporary deployment of 1,500 U.S. military personnel to assist with data entry and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance monitoring at the U.S. border. The deployment, requested by the Department of Homeland Security, was approved by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and will last for 90 days.
News: US defiance and photo credit (Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan T. Beard)