SwiftResponse

SWIFT RESPONSE

Swift Response 25 demonstrates multinational power projection and the expansion of critical capabilities on the battlefield in the High North and Baltics through airborne jumps and integration of technology in support of the Army Modernization Strategy and DoD Arctic Strategy. Swift Response 25 involves five near-simultaneous airborne insertions, HIRAIN training, a field hospital exercise and live fires conducted with NATO networks in Norway, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden and Finland from May 11 – 31, 2025.

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What is NATO’s VJTF? (master subs)

Natochannel

Sept. 14, 2021 | 0:56

SYNOPSIS
In 2021, the Turkish Army is leading NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) – NATO’s spearhead force, designed to be deployed within two or three days should a crisis occur. Leadership of the VJTF rotates between Allies on an annual basis, and Turkey is leading the force from 1 January 2021 to 1 January 2022.

Numbers of VJTF personnel fluctuate each year. In 2021, the VJTF consists of 6,400 troops from 12 countries. In May and June 2021, the force deployed to Romania to take part in exercise Steadfast Defender 2021.

Lieutenant General Roger L. Cloutier Jr, Commander of Allied Land Command, explains more.

Footage includes various shots of soldiers from different NATO countries training at Cincu exercise area in Romania as part of NATO exercise Steadfast Defender 2021.

TRANSCRIPT

--UPSOT (ITALIAN)—
Spread out!

Close up – Italian soldier shouts during training

Aerial shots – armoured personnel carriers drive through smoke

TEXT – WHAT IS NATO’S VJTF?

Mid shot – Spanish sniper fires weapon

Mid shot – Romanian soldier fires RPG

Various shots – Romanian special forces soldiers rappel from helicopter during training

--SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH)—
Lieutenant General Roger L. Cloutier Jr, Commander Allied Land Command
“A VJTF is a Very High Readiness Joint Task Force and it demonstrates NATO’s capability to have a highly trained, rapidly deployable unit on standby to respond to crisis or conflict if necessary.”

TEXT - LTG ROGER L. CLOUTIER JR
Commander, Allied Land Command

Aerial shot – US M1 Abrams tank drives across field during exercise Steadfast Defender

Various shots – Italian and Spanish soldiers conduct urban operations training at Steadfast Defender

Aerial shots – Turkish soldiers and vehicles training at exercise Steadfast Defender

TEXT – IN 2021 THE TURKISH ARMY IS LEADING THE FORCE

Various shots – Turkish commander briefs multinational soldiers during exercise Steadfast Defender

TEXT – THE FORCE CONSISTS OF 6,400 TROOPS FROM 12 COUNTRIES

Split screen – soldiers from the various countries that make up the VJTF

AND IS READY TO DEPLOY AT SHORT NOTICE IF NEEDED

--SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH)—
Lieutenant General Roger L. Cloutier Jr, Commander Allied Land Command
“As NATO LANDCOM commander, I focus every day on the combat readiness of NATO’s land forces and the VJTF is the tip of the spear.”

Various shots – ground movement exercises at Steadfast Defender

Italy
Paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade will depart from Italy to conduct an airborne drop into Lithuania.
Finland
The Finnish Army will conduct a live fire exercise with the Polish Armed Forces and U.S. Forces will fire HIMARS also known as HIRAIN training.

Polish paratroopers will conduct an airborne jump into Finland, where they will join the Finnish Army to conduct force on force training.
Latvia

In Latvia, paratroopers from Spanish Airborne Brigade and 173rd Airborne Brigade will conduct an airborne jump into Latvia and a live-fire exercises will follow .

Also, the Latvian national exercise, Crystal Arrow, will be conducted simultaneously with Swift Response 25.
Lithuania

In Lithuania, there will be a Field hospital exercise and medical operations. A U.S.-based blood support detachment will deploy to Europe, where they will be issued Army Prepositioned Stock and join the 512th Field Hospital in Lithuania. The exercise will demonstrate theater medical support operations while working under chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear conditions. The field hospital exercise will also include a simulated blood draw and resupply to forward positioned medical teams using drones.

Paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade will conduct an airborne assault into Lithuania alongside NATO Allies from France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.

The Lithuanian national exercise Iron Wolf will be linked with Swift Response 25 events with participants from the Netherlands, Lithuania and Germany.
Norway
As part of Swift Response 25, paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division will deploy from the U.S. and conduct
a direct airborne jump into Norway in the first major event commencing DEFENDER 25. This event is one of five,
near-simultaneous airborne operations that will be taking place in Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden.

Also U.S. and Host Nation will conduct Live-fires in Norway.
Sweden

NATO Allies will conduct an airborne jump into Gotland Island, setting the stage for U.S. Marines to conduct a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System Rapid Insertion (HIRAIN) training on the island.
United Kingdom
Troops moving from United Kingdom to Norway and Sweden.

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