Five NATO Countries Hold Military Exercises Near Budapest

NATO military exercises (BETAPHOTO/NORTH MACEDONIA GOVERNMENT/MO)

Over 1,500 soldiers from five NATO member countries have commenced military exercises near Budapest. The maneuvers will last until the end of September and will involve tanks, gun-howitzers and attack helicopters.

According to the Balkan Security Network, the exercises – titled Brave Warrior 2022 – include soldiers from Hungary, the U.S., Italy, Slovakia and Croatia and will be employing Apache helicopters, Leopard 2 battle tanks, PzH-2000 self-propelled howitzers and several hundred other vehicles.

The purpose is to test NATO’s new Hungary-based combat group in a realistic setting and thereby strengthen the Alliance’s eastern flank. The website further explained that the exercises will give the soldiers the opportunity to get acquainted with their assigned weapons, equipment and procedures and to practice joint tactical activities using live rounds. The combat group is one of four newly formed by NATO.

The think tank recalled that the Alliance’s eastern flank currently comprises eight combat groups. Four are stationed in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, while the remainder were activated in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and are located in Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.