NATO's Allied Spirit VII:Close Quarters Combat Drills in Northern Europe - plus Nuclear Planning Group meets

A three week-long NATO infantry exercise is drawing to a conclusion at US Army Europe's Hohenfels Training Area,Germany.Allied Spirit VII is a 7th Army Training Command-conducted exercise emphasising tactical interoperability and testing secure communications among NATO Allies,7th Army TC said.Running from 30 October to 22 November,some 4,000 troops from 13 countries have taken part in the warfighting drills:the Czech Republic,Denmark,France,Germany,Hungary,Italy,Lithuania,Poland,Portugal,Slovenia,Spain,the UK and the US.Among those units representing the US were the 40th Infantry Division,California Army National Guard;Field Artillery Squadron,2nd Cavalry Regiment;1st Battalion,3rd Aviation Regiment with Apache AH-64D Longbows.*
Italian soldiers of the 24th Field Artillery Regiment calibrated and camouflaged their FH 70 155mm Field Howitzers.*
The allied armies were integrated into a single multinational brigade under a Lithuanian headquarters command.Initial activities included IED awareness training;medical training;route clearance;and chemical,biological,radiological and nuclear defence.*
According to Lieutenant Colonel Jez Lamb,British Army 1st Battalion,Royal Regiment,Fusiliers,who were participating in their first Allied Spirit exercise:
It was totally different from what we normally do,because most of our training is conducted in Canada on wide-open prairies.But here,maximum ranges are about 50 meters,so it's very close.We can't form nice open formations,so the whole thing is totally different.*
Once the Allies had studied the terrain,the multinational brigade moved into a combat scenario versus simulated enemy forces.Skills were integrated to conduct recons;dismounts;attacks;and defensive operations as an interoperable warfighting force.
Note:At the recent Defence Ministerial in Brussels,NATO's Nuclear Planning Group,consisting of all Alliance members except France,which doesn't wish to belong to the Group,and chaired by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg,met to discuss the Alliance's nuclear forces and policies.Topics typically include the safety and survivability of nuclear weapons,communications and information systems,as well as deployment issues,NATO says.The Alliance's nuclear policy is kept under review and decisions are taken jointly to modify or adapt it in light of new developments,and to update and adjust planning and consultation procedures.
It is known that,at this Defence Ministerial,the US informed the Alliance that Russia is in violation of its Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty obligations.This could ultimately result in a decision involving a change in the Alliance's own nuclear posture.*