Exercise Noble Jump 2017 gets underway

SIBIU, Romania – Thousands of NATO troops and their equipment are on the move as Exercise Noble Jump 2017 officially kicked off May 29 with the arrival of the first troops at the airport in Alexandroupolis, Greece.

Designed to test the core elements of NATO’s Readiness Action Plan (RAP), Exercise Noble Jump 2017 is putting the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) through its paces by rapidly deploying it to an assigned area of operations.

Approximately 2,000 troops and more than 500 vehicles are headed to the Cincu training area in central Romania, coming from bases in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Norway and Albania. They will join around 2,000 Romanian troops and over 1,000 enablers.

Arriving by various combinations of air, sea, rail and road, NATO Allies are providing tangible proof that the Alliance is able to deliver a rapid deterrent response to any situation that threatens it.

UK troops from the 20th Armoured Infantry Brigade and the 11th Infantry Brigade arrive at Alexandroupolis International Airport in Greece May 29 to take part in NATO exercise Noble Jump 2017. Greek Armed Forces contributed along with the local police and airport authorities to ensure the UK forces’ entrance and safety. (Greek Armed Forces photo by Isaak Patsidis/Released)