Armored Unit Deploying to Europe for Final Phase of DEFENDER-Europe 20

A US-based combined arms battalion will conduct an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise to Europe as part of the final phase of training linked to DEFENDER-Europe 20.

This EDRE is a Dynamic Force Employment - a Department of Defense-directed, strategic deployment designed to test the Army’s ability to rapidly alert and deploy around the globe. The exercise is phase two of a modified DEFENDER-Europe 20 and has three main objectives: 1) a Dynamic Force Employment of a US Army unit to Poland, 2) the movement, drawing and fielding of equipment from Army Prepositioned Stock, and 3) the execution of a company-level combined live-fire exercise.

The equipment, to include approximately 55 Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles, was originally moved from APS sites in Germany and Belgium to Bergen-Hohne Training Area, Germany, in February as part of the original DEFENDER-Europe 20 exercise. The equipment will move via commercial and military line-haul to Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area, Poland, for the second phase of the modified exercise.

As part of the training, the unit will also mount the Trophy system on Abrams tanks. Trophy is an active protection system that is designed to detect and defeat rocket propelled grenades, recoilless rifles and anti-tank guided missiles. The fielding of Trophy systems provides the US Army’s logistics teams with the opportunity to assess and experience the dynamics of moving and installing the system in a field environment.

DEFENDER-Europe 20 was designed as a deployment exercise to build strategic readiness in support of the US National Defense Strategy and NATO deterrence objectives. In response to Covid-19, DEFENDER-Europe 20 was modified in size and scope.