The President of the Republic of North Macedonia and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Stevo Pendarovski, attended today the “Swift Response 22” military exercise” which takes place from May 2 till May 20 at the Krivolak military range, hosted by the Republic of North Macedonia.
During his visit to Krivolak, President Pendarovski was briefed on the “Swift Response 22” military exercise and saw the exercises, which included combined air activities with parachuting, helicopter landing and aircraft, involving the armed forces of eight NATO member states.
President Pendarovski welcomed the representatives of the special units and pointed out that this extensive exercise demonstrates the collective readiness of the NATO Alliance and is an exceptional opportunity for North Macedonia to show the capabilities and unique capacities of the Krivolak range as a modern training center for all exercises according to the NATO standards. “Swift Response 22” is a confirmation that our Army has a serious capacity to contribute to the collective defense, security and safety of the Euro-Atlantic area.
The exercise is particularly important for developing Army capabilities through the sharing of knowledge, capabilities and skills, as well as increasing interoperability with Allied armed forces. At the same time, it contributes to the establishment and affirmation of Krivolak as an international training center.
The military exercise at Krivolak involves 4,600 members of the armed forces of eight NATO member states: Albania, Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, North Macedonia, the United States, France and Montenegro. The exercise involves 45 aircraft, i.e. fighter and transport aircraft and helicopters, and during the exercise over 700 parachute jumps are performed.
The exercise “Swift Response 22” aims to demonstrate the ability for quick deployment of US ground forces in Europe and Africa, along with the multinational airborne forces from Europe.