Ukraine will play host, but the US military will call the shots, in an upcoming military exercise called Rapid Trident that will bring together some 1,300 international forces in Ukraine for a long-planned exercise.
Although the United States canceled Atlas Vision 2014, which was
scheduled to take place in July in the northeastern Russian city
of Chelyabinsk, the Pentagon says it will go ahead with plans for
a multinational military exercise this summer in Ukraine.
Rapid Trident 2014 is designed to "promote regional stability
and security, strengthen partnership capacity and foster trust
while improving interoperability between the land forces of
Ukraine, and NATO and partner nations," according to the US
forces in Europe website.
The Pentagon refused to provide information on the number of US
forces expected to participate in the maneuvers.
US Army spokesman Col. Steven Warren said Rapid Trident is the
only Ukraine military exercise the United States plans to
participate in this year. The exercise is intended to help the
Ukrainian military improve its troops and weapons operability
with NATO forces.
Last year's Rapid Trident, which focused on "airborne and
air-mobile infantry operations," according to a report on
the Rapid Trident website, brought together 17 NATO countries for
joint exercises.
According to Rapid Trident’s Facebook page, last year’s exercises
involved “more than 800 pieces of weaponry and about 170
military and combat vehicles... In addition, 4 Mi -8 helicopters,
a military transport aircraft An- 26 of the Armed Forces of
Ukraine and a German transport aircraft C- 160 were involved to
work out airborne operations and elements of evacuation of the
wounded from the field of battle.”
However, given the level of hysteria that has been generated by
the Ukrainian crisis, Rapid Trident 2014 will take place under
entirely different circumstances than last year’s event.
The Pentagon has already dispatched 12 warplanes and hundreds of
troops to Poland following the Crimean referendum on Sunday that
witnessed an overwhelming majority of residents voting in favor
of joining Russia.
Last week, the US military announced that the aircraft carrier
USS George H.W. Bush and its group would remain in the
Mediterranean Sea for a few more days than planned “to
reassure US allies” over the Ukraine crisis.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin, together with the
Prime Minister of Crimea and the mayor of Sevastopol, signed an
agreement in Moscow for Crimea and Sevastopol to join the Russian
Federation.
In addition to US and UK troops, Rapid Trident 2014 will include
units from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Canada, Georgia,
Germany, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Ukraine.
Rapid Trident military exercises have been held annually on the
territory of Ukraine for a number of years.
Ukraine has a partner relationship with NATO but is not
officially a member.