Saber Guardian 2017: the largest military exercise in the Romanian history

Saber Guardian, the largest military exercise in the history of Romania, starts tomorrow when the Allies' armies will enter our country’s territory. This year's exercise will take place from 11 to 20 July, bringing together about 25,000 troops from 23 countries and is headed by the United States Land Forces European Command. The exercise will consist of simulations of rapid fighting techniques; tanks and armored vehicles supported by air forces will perform major combat training, water drilling, as well as medical evacuation and treatment of the wounded. The Day of the Distinguished Visitors will be organized on Saturday, during the exercise in the Cincu Training Area.

The Saber Guardian exercise will take place in several areas in Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary and its main objective is to demonstrate the ability to rapidly mobilize and concentrate allied forces anytime, anywhere in Europe.

On the Romanian territory, there will be units belonging to the 3rd Armored Brigade of the US 4th Infantry Division in Europe and the 2nd Cavalry Regiment of the USA from Vilseck, Germany.

The figures obtained from the Romanian Ministry of Defense are impressive: 3,000 technical means, 2,000 of which are American, including Abrams tanks, Stryker and Bradley armored conveyors. 40 train sets, consisting of about 20 wagons each, brought this fighting technique to Romania. The exercise was notified to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europa (OSCE) because it exceeds the rules of the Vienna Treaty providing for a maximum of nine thousand troops. 21 national military exercises will be connected to the Saber Guardian.

According to www.eur.army.mil, the Saber Guardian 2017 exercise aims to demonstrate the ability of the United States to respond in an integrated manner to all categories of forces as well as the capacity for high-level cooperation with the allied states against regional aggression.

On the Romanian territory, Saber Guardian 2017 takes place in more than 20 firing ranges and deployment areas, including the Black Sea, and the activities open to the press are as follows:

- July 13 - Fire Exercise - Getica Saber 17, National Center for Joint Instruction (CNII) "Getica" Cincu;

- July 14 - Demonstrative exercise of the military engineering structures - Resolute Castle 17, CNII Cincu;

- July 15 - Combined Exercise with combat fighting - Getica Saber 17, CNII Cincu;

- July 16 - Crossing a watercourse - Saber Guardian 2017, Borduşani;

- July 16 - Medical Evacuation Exercise - Saber Guardian 2017, Mihail Kogalniceanu;

- July 16 - Passing over a water course at night - Saber Guardian 2017, Valcea County;

- July 17 - Inauguration of infrastructure works - Resolute Castle 17, Mihail Kogalniceanu;

- July 19 - Real Anti-Air Exercise - Tobruk Legacy 17, Cape Midia;

- July 21 - Air Operations - Swift Response 17, Turzii Plain;

- July 22 - Virtual Air Defense Simulation - Tobruk Legacy 17, Mihail Kogalniceanu.

Saber Guardian 17 will begin with the engaging activities of Romanian and American soldiers with local authorities and communities between July 11-14 in garrisons placed on routes to the shooting range and deployment areas. They are part of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment from the United States of America and the South East Multinational Brigades from Craiova and 2nd Mountain Troops from Brașov. The soldiers will organize military technical exhibitions or military ceremonies in Arad and Sinaia (July 11th), Ploiești (July 12th), Sibiu (13 July), and Râmnicu Vâlcea and Slobozia (July 14th).

The Ministry of Defense reminds citizens residing in the adjacent villages of the training areas the obligation to follow the safety measures established for the time of the shooting with real ammunition, as well as the No tress-passing signs, the restriction marks and the indications of the security staff in the proximity of the Ministry of Defense safety zones. Unauthorized access inside the Ministry of Defense shooting range areas, reaching or collecting metallic waste resulting from shooting with real ammunition is strictly forbidden and presents major risks.

Source:RRA.Transated by Miruna Matei