This year, the drill will involve up to 1,000 troops from 25 NATO countries.
Deputy Chief of Staff CIS and Cyber Defense at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe Major General Wolfgang Renner emphasized that the exercise about to begin would train, test, and evaluate the deployable communication systems in support of command and Force Structure HQ for Enhanced NATO Response Force 2019 (eNRF19).
“It is a key interoperability exercise, where the Communication and Information System Networks for the upcoming NATO Response Force are being tested and validated,” he said.
“You may remember that Exercise Steadfast Cobalt 17 was held in Kaunas too. So good was the Host nation support, the reception, the facilities and quality of training, that the offer to host Exercise Steadfast Cobalt 18 was quickly accepted,” the general added.
The active phase of NATO’s defensive exercise Steadfast Cobalt will take place on May 21-June 1.
It will evaluate the ability of NATO communications units to ensure information exchange and maintain communication among combat units of the NATO Response Force, joint and component headquarters worldwide. The drill will also be held to prepare for the Trident Juncture exercise, to be held in Lithuania in the fall.