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US forces participate in Exercise “Southern Shield” conducted in Romania
US Army soldiers from the 57th Air Defence Artillery Regiment are conducting a Short Range Air Defence (SHORAD) Exercise in our country with the aim of consolidating and defending NATO's airspace.
"This exercise sends a clear message to the Romanian citizens: the United States of America and NATO are firmly committed to defending Romania's airspace," Lieutenant Colonel Andre Ruff, Commander of the 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defence Artillery Regiment stated. He also said that "it is a routine, purely defensive exercise intended to support Romania's air defence capabilities, which gives citizens confidence through visible and integrated defence measures. This is a proof of the strong cooperation between the United States and Romania and emphasizes the importance of our long-standing partnership."
Exercise "Southern Shield", began on November 14th and is coordinated by the United States European Command, in collaboration with the Romanian military structures. It demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the USA to Romania and NATO. "By strengthening cooperation with the Romanian allies, Exercise Southern Shield plays a critical role in enhancing interoperability on personal, technical and procedural levels," Colonel Hailey Bairu, Commander of the 52nd and Air Defence Artillery Brigade said. "The exercise also emphasizes the agility of the US forces to validate their readiness and response capacity, thus strengthening the defence posture of the Euro-Atlantic region and ensuring the protection of Romania's airspace in the context of the escalating regional tensions," he added.
The exercise conducted on our country’s the territory aims at strengthening the integrated air and missile defence capabilities through the rapid deployment of SHORAD systems, specially designed to counter low-altitude threats and to protect NATO's airspace.
To support media coverage, the links to relevant images and video footage from Exercise 'Southern Shield' are provided below.
Video: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/944206/b-roll-exercitiul-southern-shield-2024
Photos:
https://www.dvidshub.net/image/8757030/avengers-travel-uphill-during-exercise-southern-shield
The Press Office