YEAR IN REVIEW: Army strengthens alliances with partners, bolsters interoperability

As the Army prepares for large-scale, multi-domain combat on the future battlefield, the service widened the scope and scale of exercises with partner nations in 2024.

The Army continued to make a difference in global security this year by initiating and maintaining strong alliances and partnerships while continuously transforming for adaptability, flexibility and lethality. From using the high mobility artillery rocket systems in Tunisia to helping the Philippines to integrate C-17s, this year's exercises integrated many firsts as the Army continues to technologically innovate as it tests its interoperability across the multinational domains.

African Lion 2024

African Lion 24, or AL24, U.S. Africa Command's premier, annual combined joint exercise conducted by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, or SETAF-AF, ran from April 19 to May 31 across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia, with over 8,100 participants from 27 nations and NATO contingents.

"This exercise has grown over the years since 2004, not only in the number of multinational service members we train with but also in the scope of the training, which has expanded beyond just security," said Gen. Michael Langley, commander of United States Africa Command.

Training and cooperation occurred across the country, and in all military domains linking the full U.S. Joint/Total Force. It included a command post exercise with delegates from 17 participating nations; special operations exercise, air and maritime exercises, a unique HIMARS rapid insertion from a U.S. Marine unit, and a Humanitarian Civic Assistance exercise that directly provided medial aid to nearly 10,000 civilians.

For the first time, high mobility artillery rocket systems, or HIMARS, provided by 4th Battalion, 133rd Field Artillery Regiment, Texas National Guard was used during the exercise. HIMARS repeatedly fired upon high-value targets.

Defender Europe

For the first time, the United States conducted a major logistical operation with Sweden as ongoing rail gauge operations occurred in the Arctic Circle's High North Region May 2-4. Held in conjunction with Immediate Response 24, the operations were part of the larger DEFENDER 24 series of exercises.

While the U.S. has previously conducted military exercises with Sweden, this was the first major logistical exercise since Sweden officially joined NATO March 7.

Just over one month after joining the NATO Alliance, the Swedish Armed Forces hosted U. S. military units based in Germany, including the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division, the 16th Sustainment Brigade, and the 627th Transportation Detachment along with The Norwegian Armed Forces and Finnish Defense Forces to conduct rail gauge operations that demonstrate interoperability in the High North.

The rail gauge refers to the distance between two rails on a railway track and is essential for ensuring trains' compatibility and seamless movement. Swift Response, the largest multinational U.S. Army European airborne exercise held annually in Europe, began in Sweden with a joint forcible entry, or airborne operation, where nearly 800 service members from the U.S., Hungary, Italy, Spain and Sweden participated in a parachute drop at Hagshult Wartime Air Base, May 7.

Swift Response, a component of the larger DEFENDER 24 exercise, was a dynamic U.S. Army Europe & Africa-led training exercise focused on allied airborne forces' ability to quickly and effectively respond to crises as an interoperable, multi-national team.

The exercise integrated six near-simultaneous JFEs, into Estonia, Moldova, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania and Sweden. Additional exercise locations included the use of intermediate staging bases in Hungary and Italy.

Saber Strike 24, a multilateral NATO exercise spanning most of April, demonstrated the capability and interoperability of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, V Corps and NATO allied forces through increasingly complex training events in Bemowo Piskie Training Ground, Poland.

Salaknib 2024

The Army made history when the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force from Joint Base Lewis-McChord successfully deployed the Mid-Range Capability, or MRC missile system to Luzon, Philippines, as part of Salaknib 2024.

The Army deployed the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Exportable to Fort Magsaysay, Luzon, in June as part of Exercise Salaknib. This deployment was a significant milestone that helped the Armed Forces of the Philippines establish Combat Readiness Training Area locations within the country.

This year, the Philippines' JPMRC rotation combined with the Philippines Army's Training and Doctrine Command, the U.S. Army's 25th Infantry Division and 196th Infantry Brigade from Hawaii to execute the first rotation in the Philippines to provide realistic training in the Indo-Pacific.

Soldiers gained valuable experience operating in a jungle environment while strengthening the Philippine Army and its commitment to the region, said Gen. Charles Flynn, then-commander of U.S. Army Pacific.

Southern Fenix 2024

U.S., Chilean, and Argentinian Soldiers commemorated the completion of the multinational exercise Southern Fenix, or SF24, focused on enhancing interoperability for multi-domain operations between partner nations at Campo Militar Pozo Almonte, in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, Sept. 6.

The exercise featured the first deployment of the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, to the U.S. Southern Command area of operations, in conjunction with combined airborne operations, reception, staging, onward movement, and integration, and a combined field training exercise culminating in two live-fire exercises, one with maneuver, and one with HIMARS rocket artillery forces.

The 11th Airborne Division, based out of Fort Richardson, Alaska, rapidly deployed and executed a combined night jump infiltration alongside Chilean paratroopers on an objective in the Tarapacá desert. After securing the objective, the paratroopers conducted a field training exercise and a live fire squad tactical exercise. The paratrooper's integration with Chilean partners enhanced interoperability and combat for both armies.

Another vital participant in the exercise, the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade from Fort Moore, Georgia, played a key role in advising, assisting, and training the Chilean army throughout the exercise by bridging gaps and improving interoperability throughout the exercise. The SFAB conducted multiple classes for the Chilean Army and constructed templates leveraging their technical expertise to promote force modernization throughout the Chilean Army operational and planning process.

Orient Shield 24

Soldiers from U.S. Army Japan, the 1st Battalion 5th Infantry Regiment and 11th Airborne Division of Fort Wainwright, Alaska, took part in the longstanding exercise Orient Shield which held its opening ceremony July 18 at Camp Imazu, Japan.

Orient Shield is the largest U.S. Army and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, or JGSDF, bilateral field training exercise executed annually in various locations throughout Japan to enhance interoperability and test and refine multi-domain and cross-domain operations.

In addition to taking part in exercises that focused on the areas of bilateral planning, coordination, and interoperability, including testing HIMARS and performing operations with the UH-60 Black Hawk, the cooperation between U.S. and Japanese forces helps to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region, Army leaders said.

Allied Spirit 24

Allied Spirit 24 was a large-scale U.S. Army exercise that strengthened deterrence initiatives by testing interoperability between more than 6,500 participants from NATO Allies and partners. Force-on-force operations ran March 9-17, hosted by the 7th Army Training Command at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center near Hohenfels, Germany, as part of the U.S. Department of Defense's Large Scale, Global Exercise 2024.

"Very rarely at a U.S. Army combat training center do we have a training audience that's 80 percent NATO Allies and 20 percent U.S. Soldiers," said 7ATC Commanding General Brig. Gen. Steven Carpenter. "The Bundeswehr [German Army] is an exceedingly professional force."

The units were run through tactical tasks in an intense crucible of a competitive event on the Hohenfels Training Area, which contains more than 60 square miles of hilly terrain, around a thousand structures, 200 miles of road and numerous cross-country trails.

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