Joint NATO drills kick off in Georgia
Georgian and NATO forces launched joint military exercises on 18 March 2019 as part of the ex-Soviet country’s bid to win membership in the 29-nation alliance that has infuriated its old master Russia.
Held at the Krtsanisi Georgia-NATO Joint Training and Evaluation Centre outside the capital Tbilisi, the 12-day drills ‘are a significant milestone in strengthening NATO-Georgia military-political cooperation,’ Georgia’s defence ministry said.
The games involve 350 servicemen from the US, Britain, France, Germany and 17 other allied nations as well as Azerbaijan, Finland, and Sweden, the defence ministry said in a statement. ‘The exercises are aimed at strengthening Georgia’s defence capabilities and are not directed against any third country,’ deputy defence minister Lela Chikovani told journalists.
The prospect of Georgia joining NATO is seen by the Kremlin as a Western incursion into its traditional sphere of influence. Tensions between Tbilisi and Moscow over Georgia’s pro-Western trajectory and control of the pro-Western country’s breakaway regions led to a brief but bloody war in 2008.
During the conflict over Moscow-backed separatist regions South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Russia routed Georgia’s small military in just five days, recognised the independence of the breakaway regions and stationed military bases there.
At a 2008 summit in Romania, NATO leaders said Georgia would join the bloc at an unspecified future date, but have so far refused toput the country on a formal membership path.
You may also like
More from Defence Notes
-
![Intelligence innovation: From data overload to decision advantage (Podcast)]()
Intelligence innovation: From data overload to decision advantage (Podcast)
As militaries face an overwhelming flow of data, the challenge is shifting from collection to delivering fast, actionable insights that drive decision-making. Advances in AI and data integration are helping armed forces move beyond siloed systems to generate real-time intelligence across domains and allies.
-
![Teledyne FLIR adds GPS-denied 3D-mapping capabilities to its CBRN uncrewed platforms]()
Teledyne FLIR adds GPS-denied 3D-mapping capabilities to its CBRN uncrewed platforms
In a partnership with Emesent, Teledyne FLIR will equip its autonomous air, ground and detection systems with the Hovermap LiDAR payload in a move that highlights a broader market shift towards modular architectures, shared payloads and interoperability across platforms.
-
![US seeks 32% boost for missile defence budget with $23 billion earmarked for interceptors]()
US seeks 32% boost for missile defence budget with $23 billion earmarked for interceptors
The Pentagon’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year includes an impressive increase in the procurement of interceptors, with the number of the US Army’s PAC-3 MSE rounds expanding by 683%, the US Navy’s Standard Missile by 365% and the MDA’s SM-3 IIA by more than 1,000%.
-
![US Army partners with Global Military Products to surge munitions production]()
US Army partners with Global Military Products to surge munitions production
Global Military Products was selected by the US Army to operate the Quad Cities Cartridge Case Facility and ramp up the production of various calibre shell cases.
-
![Growing a digital backbone: an essential capability for the multi-domain battlespace]()
Growing a digital backbone: an essential capability for the multi-domain battlespace
Future operational superiority will be defined by the ability to connect systems, data and personnel into a wider network. For armed forces, this creates the need for a digital backbone that integrates and enhances sensors and effectors of all kinds.
