The spread of the novel coronavirus is unlikely to abate any time soon and the US European Command (USEURCOM) is weighing how to proceed with large-scale exercises like ‘Baltic Operations 2020’ (‘BALTOPS 2020’’), designed to shore up training and military readiness against public health and safety concerns.
US Air Force General Tod Wolters, the commander for USEURCOM and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), fielded reporters’ questions on 16 April about Covid-19 and his area of responsibility. One challenge for him is deciding if and how to proceed with exercises.
“As for now, BALTOPS is still ongoing and it’s a classic case where we have an exercise on the horizon in the June and July time frame, and with each passing second of the day we’re taking a look at each and every one of our activities to make sure that we can preserve potentially as many as possible,” the four-star general explained.
“When we think it’s feasible – based off the size of the exercise, the complexity of the exercise, the location of the exercise, obviously the time of the exercise – we’re willing to make adjustments and a lot of that has to do with the learning objectives. What is our ability to adequately get everybody together of sound mind and comfort to where they can remain laser focused on the mission,” he added.
Spanish marines and armoured amphibious assault vehicles, deployed from the US Navy’s Whidbey Island-class LSD amphibious assault ship USS Fort McHenry, come ashore on Palanga Beach, Lithuania, in an amphibious demonstration during ‘BALTOPS 2019’. Due to Covid-19, USEURCOM is weighing if it will cancel the maritime exercise this year. (Lee Willett)
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