Over 1,000 NATO Airborne Forces Take the Plunge Over Germany During Drills

More than 1,000 NATO paratroopers jumped from aircraft into the skies of Germany during the high point of the Exercise Swift Response, one of the alliance's largest airborne drills in Europe since the end of the Cold War.

Paratroopers from 11 NATO member states are taking part in the US Army-led Exercise Swift Response in Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, and Italy.

This stage of the drill took place at the training area at US Army Garrison Hohenfels in southern Germany.

"The paratroopers are now conducting follow-on operations in Hohenfels that focus on crisis response and building a cohesive NATO team of European high readiness forces," said US Army spokesman Christian Marquardt.

The massive airborne combined joint forcible entry operation is being staged in the afore-mentioned four countries and is claimed as the largest combined airborne training on the continent since the end of the Cold War.

Exercise Swift Response features more than 4,800 soldiers from Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Spain, as well as the UK and the US.

Led by headquarters elements from the Army's XVIII Airborne Corps and the 4th Infantry Division Mission Command Element, the US contingent also includes the Europe-based 173rd Airborne Brigade, and the US-based 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division.

The exercise is designed to integrate multiple allied nations' high-readiness forces to operate as a cohesive team and demonstrate the alliance's capacity to rapidly deploy and operate in support of sustaining a strong and secure Europe.

During the drill, the participants conduct simultaneous airborne joint forced entries in to Germany's Hohenfels Training Area and Bulgaria's Novo Selo Training Area with follow-on training at both locations.

The exercise is scheduled to conclude on September 13, with multinational platoon and company live fire at the Grafenwöhr Training Area in Germany.