“Defender 23” Ready, most specific even with the Kosovo Forces

The defence minister in the Republic of Albania, Niko Peleshi, has announced that “Task Force Jug” is already complete with American military joining troops from Albania, Kosovo and Northern Macedonia.

Pelesh suggested, that they are here to participate in training exercises “Defender 23”, helping American forces and partners to be trained, able to act together and ready to respond to any threat.

According to him, the presence of the Kosovo Security Force makes this facility even more special.

This day-to-day exercise is taking on the shape of a great success”.

Earlier, Peleshi said 22 May will launch the multinational joint exercise conducted by the US European Command, where the interoperative skills of the United States with NATO's Allied armies and partners will be demonstrated.

“Albania, as a reliable partner and as a strategic regional security node, will play a key role in this important exercise. Proud of this role, showing our maximum support and commitment to all military and personnel who are part of this important” mission

According to him, our “co-operation and support, essential to peace and stability in the region”.

Two years ago, Tirana was one of the organisers of “Defender-Europe 202118x1>, the large-scale exercise involving 30,000 American troops and NATO forces from 26 countries, which began on May 4th and continued through June with several exercises linked across the continent, writes Albanian Post.

This was the first major exercise under the command of the new combined US Army in Europe and Africa and focused on demonstrating command capacity to serve as the command of the land component of combined/communal forces for large-scale ground combat operations in numerous theaters.

The goal of the “exercise is to test our skills in the full range of experiences that we engage in the army”, the Air Force General Todd Walters, commander of the US European Command, will be expressed at the 4 May training ceremony in the Durres Port.

Defender-European 2020, which would be the largest military exercise in Europe in decades, was reduced after the pandemic COVID-19 spread.

After the exercise was completed, Albanian authorities would immediately start working to welcome back an equally large exercise, under the name Defender 2023.