Brave Partner:Joint US/North Macedonia SNAP Drills Underway

Some 180 Soldiers from U.S. Army V Corps' 2nd Cavalry Regiment will host joint country Forces for Exercise Brave Partner in North Macedonia.The drills run from 1-10 December 2023 at the Krivolak Training Area,Republic of North Macedonia,a NATO Ally.Said 2nd Cav Regiment commander Col. Robert McChrystal:Short notice exercises like Brave Partner are a way to train in new environments and enhance interoperability.*About 30 Soldiers from the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia will support the drills,which are to feature a live-fire range with versatile Stryker Infantry Fighting Vehicles.The exercise enhances regional partnerships and increases combat readiness in a realistic,multi-national training environment,said U.S. Army Europe - Africa in a news release.*Short notice planning events like Brave Partner help ensure our Forces and NATO Allies are ready to respond to real-world contingincies with little or no advance notice.On 7 December,U.S. Ambassador to North Macedonia Angela Aggelar will attend Brave Partner with North Macedonia's Minister of Defence Slavjanka Petrovska.Ambassador Aggelar noted that:The training exercise between North Macedonia's 1st Brigade and the U.S. 2nd Cavalry Stryker Regiment demonstrates interoperability and the invaluable cooperation between our countries' militaries.Once again,we see the crucial importance of joint exercises with our valued NATO Ally,and the benefits they bring to regional stability.*On 1 December 2023,Army of the Republic of North Macedonia Brig. Gen. Sashko Lafchiski,1st Infantry Brigade commander,met with U.S. Soldiers from 2nd Squadron,2nd Cavalry Regiment at Skopje International Airport.The U.S. troops had just arrived for Brave Partner,the Short Notice Action Planning (SNAP) exercise.Brave Partner is designed to demonstrate USAEUR-AF's operational reach;validate U.S. investments in North Macedonia;and increase readiness.The 2nd Cav brought their Stryker eight-wheeled armoured fighting vehicles with them.They were derived from the Canadian Light Armoured Vehicle III by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada,and are manufactured for the U.S. Army by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada and General Dynamics Land Systems Division,U.S.Strykers can drive up to 60 mph/96.5 kmh and have a range of 330 mi/531 km,and have a central tire inflation system.They are a family of 10 different variants with a common chassis.With robust armour protection,they carry a squad of nine Infantry Soldiers and two crew mmbers.*The basic Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) has a basic soft mount cradle which can mount with a .50 calibre M2 machine gun;MK 19 40 mm grenade launcher;or MK 240 7.6 mm machine gun.It is also armed with four M6 smoke grenade launchers.The Stryker is produced for Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCT).*The turret for the Stryker's Mobile Gun System (MGS) is armed with an M68A1E4 105 mm cannon and an M2 O.5 calibre machine gun.The ICV's are equipped with periscopes for protected viewing and digital communications systems.* General Dynamics (GD)