Joint U.S.-Georgian Exercise Noble Partner 2015 opened

An official opening ceremony of the Joint U.S.-Georgian Military Exercise Noble Partner 2015 was held on the territory of the Vaziani military airfield.

The event began with a landing by 1/91 CAV Charley Company`s paratroopers after which Georgia`s Khridoli instructors group demonstrated Georgian martial arts.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili addressed the U.S. and Georgian military participating in the exercise. Minister of Defence Tinatin Khidasheli and Chief of the General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces, Major-General Vakhtang Kapanadze, focused on the significance of the exercise. Brig. Gen. Mark L. Loeben Director of Assessments and Analysis (ECJ7), U.S. European Command and Nicholas Berliner Deputy Ambassador of the United States to Georgia highlighted the U.S.-Georgian strategic partnership and stressed importance of the combined training.

Later on, Minister and Chief of Defence talked with the military servicemen engaged in the exercise and viewed the military equipment taking part in it. Noble Partner is being conducted in Georgia for the first time and is aimed at increasing interoperability of Georgian forces with U.S. units for participation in the NATO Response Force (NRF). The military exercise provides an excellent opportunity to enhance Georgian Armed Forces` capability to contribute to NRF and to deepen military cooperation between the countries.

The Noble Partner includes field training and a live-fire exercise. The battalion-level training will be held in three phases. At the first stage the U.S. and Georgian military servicemen will undergo theoretical preparation; the following stage includes live-fire training and the final part will be devoted to tactical maneuvers. Noble Partner will be wrapped up with a demonstrative exercise.

Approximately, 600 Georgian and U.S. military personnel are participating in the Noble Partner. The Georgian side is represented by “Alpha” Company of 12th Battalion of I Infantry Brigade, I Mechanized Company of 42nd Battalion of IV Mechanized Brigade and Military Police Platoon.

From the Georgian side, the BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles will take part in the military exercise. The U.S. infantry Bradley combat vehicles and several wheeled support vehicles are also engaged in the exercise.