NATO VJTF (SPEARHEAD) Exercise NOBLE JUMP (9-18 June 2015)

photo NATO

19 May 2015 by NATO

NATO will continue the process of testing and refinement of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) during part two of Exercise NOBLE JUMP, from 9 to 19 June 2015 in Zagan, Poland.  A media day will be held on 18 June 2015, which will include a tactical firepower demonstration, media availabilities with senior NATO / Allied political and military leaders, as well as opportunities to interact with soldiers participating on the exercise.

The VJTF is being established as a part of an overall enhancement to the NATO Response Force in order to address new security challenges on NATO’s southern and eastern peripheries.  Exercise NOBLE JUMP represents the first time that high-readiness units will deploy and conduct tactical manoeuvers under the new VJTF framework.  As such, this event represents a learning process that will allow NATO military staff to identify both successes and shortfalls during the early stages of the development process.  Increasingly complex exercises, trials, and evaluations will be conducted throughout 2015 and 2016 in order to develop, refine and implement the VJTF concept into the framework of the NATO Response Force. 

This event is one of a wider series of training events occurring in June 2015 referred to as the ALLIED SHIELD series of exercises.  The ALLIED SHIELD series includes Exercise NOBLE JUMP in Poland; exercise TRIDENT JOUST, a NRF command and control exercise in Romania; and two other exercises that will be announced shortly.   In total, approximately 15,000 troops from 19 different Allies and 3 partner nations will participate in this series of training events taking place across the Alliance in June 2015.  All of these exercises are defensive and are a part of NATO’s assurance measures in response to challenges on NATO’s southern and eastern periphery. The activity will focus on enhancing interoperability, readiness and responsiveness among Allied and partner nations.  ALLIED SHIELD demonstrates that NATO members are united in their commitment to collective defence.