16 May 24. U.S. Joins Jordan, Partner Nations to Launch Exercise Eager Lion 24. Forces from U.S. Central Command joined with host country Jordan and more than 30 additional partner nations Sunday to kick off Exercise Eager Lion 2024, the Pentagon announced today.
This 11th iteration of Eager Lion serves to underscore the United States’ “commitment to interoperability with our partners in the region, while refining our ability to defend against … threats by state and non-state actors,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters.
Considered the most important exercise between the U.S. military and the Jordanian Armed Forces, Eager Lion 24 will focus on training the participating partner nations to develop cooperation and interoperability between military and interagency organizations, according to a Centcom press release on the exercise.
In addition to addressing challenges from across the region’s air, land, sea and cyber domains, the exercise will also support humanitarian aid assistance and multinational disaster response operations, the release states.
“Eager Lion demonstrates the value of working together to maintain a ready and responsive force that truly demonstrates we are prepared to respond together in times of crisis,” exercise director U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jason Benson said.
Benson added that Eager Lion does more than merely demonstrate the commitment to interoperability between multiple partner nations.
“It also demonstrates that our coalition force can maintain a sufficient and sustainable presence in the region. It delivers a clear message that relationships matter,” he said.
“As we work to deter and address aggressive actions by maligned actors around the world, these kinds of exercises and partnerships enable us to meet new and continuing threats together,” Singh said.
She added that the U.S. military participates in more than 80 exercises with partner nations throughout Centcom’s area of responsibility each year to bolster military-to-military relationships that promote regional security. Eager Lion 24 is scheduled to run until May 23. (Source: U.S. DoD)
15 May 24. New name and expanded mandate for EU Mozambique training mission. With just over four months ahead of mandate expiry of its training mission in Mozambique, the European Union (EU) will evolve it to a military assistance one with an extended lifespan.
The mandate of what will be known as EUTM MOZ (EU Training Mission Mozambique) until 31 August will now go through to 30 June 2026 as EUMAM (EU Military Assistance Mission) Mozambique.
The renamed mission has a 14 m plus Euro budget from the European bloc in pursuit of what a statement said are “new circumstances”. This will see it move from a pure training mission to an assistance model, combining advising, mentoring and specialised training for FADM (Forcas Armadas de Defesa de Mozambique) quick reaction force (QRF) units.
EUTM MOZ is part of the EU integrated approach encompassing humanitarian, peacebuilding, security and development actions and was set up in July 2021. It sole aim was and remains, until end August, training and supporting Mozambican armed forces in protecting civilians and restoring safety and security in Cabo Delgado province, where the security and humanitarian situation has continuously deteriorated since 2017.
The mission to date supported capacity building of FADM units now part of the QRF. The mission provided military training on operational preparation, specialised counter-terrorism as well as training and education on protecting civilians and compliance with international humanitarian and human rights laws.
At the height of operations, EUTM MOZ had a personnel strength of 140 spread among three training bases – Dongo, Katembe and Mavalane. Command post exercises (CPXs), offensive, defensive and enabling operations as well as administrative, logistic and tactical deployment along with close air support are on the training curriculum. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
14 May 24. U.S. Africa Command Launches Multi-Nation Special Warfare Exercise. U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual special operations exercise kicked off Monday with an opening ceremony in Côte d’Ivoire, the Pentagon announced today. Exercise Flintlock 24, which runs through May 24th, will see forces from U.S. Special Operations Command Africa, or SocAfrica, partnering with nearly 30 nations and approximately 1,300 personnel in locations hosted by Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
“Flintlock is U.S. Africa Command’s premiere and largest annual special operations forces exercise that works to strengthen combined partner force collaboration in Africa alongside international and NATO international special operations forces,” Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters during a briefing.
In late February through early March of this year, SocAfrica and Ghana Armed Forces completed a final planning event for Flintlock 24. The event held sessions on the rule of law; civil affairs activities; air operations; and women, peace and security, according to a SocAfrica press release on the event.
“The partnerships that we forge here will allow us to address the threats on the continent. It’s a collective group effort,” U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Ronald A. Foy, SocAfrica commander, said.
“That’s the value of this exercise. And as we go forward in the future, we expand on these relationships.
“Flintlock’s a mechanism that opens doors for all international allies and partners to come together, to train together, to live together, to learn from each other,” U.S. Army Maj. Adam DeMarco, SocAfrica Flintlock 24 lead planner, said.
“And it really builds enduring and sustainable partnerships that will last the test of time, whether it’s in Flintlock or in real-world operations,” Demarco continued.
“We have five out of seven continents represented here at Exercise Flintlock and that partnership is only growing.”
Elsewhere in the Africom area of responsibility, Exercise Obangame Express 2024 has been ongoing since May 6 throughout Africa’s west coast, namely in and around the host nation of Gabon, Ryder said.
Sponsored by Africom and conducted by U.S. Naval Forces Africa, Obangame Express is a 13-nation maritime interdiction training taking place in the Ghanaian city of Sekondi through May 17.
Spotlight: Value of Service”Through Obangame Express, U.S. forces work alongside participating nations to improve combined maritime law enforcement capacity, promote national and regional security in West Africa, and increase interoperability the U.S., African and multinational partners,” Ryder said, adding that the U.S. routinely exercises with our African partners to build strong relationships and to ensure the security and safety of the region’s maritime environment.
“The exercises are incredibly important and they are enduring,” Ryder responded when asked about the efficacy of U.S.-led exercises throughout Africom’s area of responsibility.
“Certainly,” he continued, “when it comes to things like counterterrorism, or addressing regional threats, or humanitarian crisis-types of situations, those exercises are central to enabling our forces to not only interoperate, but to understand one-another, and to have those kinds of relationships that — on that day you need them most — they’re there.” (Source: U.S. DoD)
11 May 24. NATO warships engage in anti-submarine warfare training. In the frigid waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, NATO’s Dynamic Mongoose 24 exercise has brought together ships, submarines, aircraft, and thousands of personnel from 10 allied nations to sharpen their anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and anti-surface warfare (ASuW) skills.
Running from 29 April to 10 May, this annual exercise spans from Norway to Iceland in the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom-Norway (GIUK-N) Gap.
Hosted this year by Norway, with events occurring from Stavanger to Reykjavik, Iceland, Dynamic Mongoose 24 focuses on training submarine crews to evade detection while enhancing the capability of surface vessels and aircraft to locate and neutralise potential threats beneath the waves.
For the first time since Sweden’s accession as a full member of NATO on 7 March, a Swedish Navy’s Gotland-class submarine is participating in the drills.
“We are excited to incorporate the stealth of one of Sweden’s advanced, silent Gotland-class submarines into Dynamic Mongoose this year,” stated U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Thomas Wall, Commander, Submarines NATO, in a press release.
“We’ve been collaborating with the Swedish Navy for many years, so the interoperability is already there. They bring the experience of a submarine crew well versed in shallow water operations, which firmly enhances our collective defence in the region.”
The exercise also features contributions from submarines of the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with aircraft from Canada, Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Surface ships participating include the multinational Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1), commanded by Spanish Navy Rear Admiral Joaquin Ruiz Escagedo aboard the flagship ESPS Almirante Juan de Borbon, and additional ships from Germany, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
Throughout Dynamic Mongoose 24, each unit will engage in a range of submarine-warfare operations, with submarines alternating roles between hunter and hunted, closely integrated with air and surface forces.
Rear Admiral Wall emphasised the strategic importance of such drills in a press release, stating, “As NATO’s maritime force, we leverage exercises like Dynamic Mongoose to hone our team’s proficiency in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, safeguarding the Alliance against multi-domain threats. The crew of every single submarine, ship, and aircraft participating in this exercise brings a unique perspective and valuable capability to the table. I continue to be proud of the work they have done, and now it’s time to put it all into practice.” (Source: UKDJ)
13 May 24. British Paratroopers and NATO Allies in Hypothetical Confrontation with Russia. In one of the largest NATO military exercises since the Cold War, British paratroopers and forces from 16 other NATO countries engaged in extensive drills, simulating a defensive operation against imaginary Russian forces. The exercise, which took place in Estonia, featured the UK’s latest Apache AH-64E attack helicopters and demonstrated a commitment to rapid deployment and high mobility in potential conflict scenarios.
The main focus of the exercise was on rapid deployment and effective coordination among NATO forces, showcasing the Apache helicopters’ advanced capabilities in reconnaissance, target acquisition, and engagement. The exercises are deemed crucial for maintaining operational readiness and demonstrating NATO’s collective defense posture, especially given the current tensions in Eastern Europe.
British forces, including the 16 Air Assault Brigade, practiced various combat scenarios involving air assaults, parachute drops, and ground engagements. This training ensures that NATO forces remain prepared to respond swiftly and efficiently to any potential threats. (Source: https://www.sofx.com/)