ATHENS – A growing American military presence in Greece after renewal of a mutual cooperation deal will see Greece host one of the largest US Army exercises in Europe, involving troops from mine countries.
The maneuvers will take place primarily in the Balkans with the main phase in Greece, in Petrochori, Xanthi in the north, from May 26 to June 6, involving 2,000 US military personnel, and forces from France, Bulgaria, Spain and North Macedonia. Smaller-scale scenarios will be simultaneously carried out in Slovakia, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and Croatia.
The multinational exercise, known as LIVEX Immediate Response 2025, will feature several key training scenarios in Greece, including river-crossing operations, air assault missions and offensive operations.
US forces will include those from the 194th Engineer Brigade, the National Guard units of Tennessee and Vermont, and the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Greek units from the 20th Armored Division, based in Kavala, will take part.
About 12,000 troops will take part in training in how to respond to cyberattacks as well as chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) warfare.
Live-fire exercises involving tanks and other armored vehicles will also be held in Petrochori, where Greece has stepped up use of a tank firing range in Petrochori bringing in forces from the US and Europe.
Over the past five years, the US military has begun including Xanthi in its list of preferred training locations in Greece for large-scale exercises and another, named Stolen Cerberus XII – was recently done.
