C-130s arrive in Italy for Swift Response

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  • U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa Public Affairs

U.S. Air Force C-130H Hercules aircraft and personnel assigned to the 103rd Airlift Wing, Connecticut Air National Guard, and Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia, arrived in Italy to support airlift and airdrop in during Swift Response.

Exercise Swift Response is an annual U.S. Army Europe and Africa multinational training exercise taking place this year in Eastern Europe, the Arctic High North, Baltics, and Balkans from May 2-24.

Approximately 9,000 service members from 17 Allied and partner nations will participate in the exercise, including approximately 2,700 U.S. Soldiers and Airmen. The U.S. and its European Allies and partners will demonstrate their ability to move a U.S. division-sized force, quickly build combat power, and execute command and control operations.

The exercise begins when the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division leaves Alaska and flies over the North Pole to Norway. The flight, and subsequent airborne jump into Norway, will demonstrate the unit’s ability to conduct arctic defense operations with Allies and partners in the Arctic High North.

At nearly the same time, U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s 173rd Infantry Battalion Task Force (Airborne), 3rd Brigade 82d Airborne, and several Allied airborne units will conduct separate Joint Forcible Entries into Latvia, Lithuania, and North Macedonia. Once the airborne assaults are complete, each brigade task force will conduct on-the-ground tactical operations and follow-on training, to include rotary wing deep-strike attacks, air-assault operations, live-fire training, and field-training exercises.

Military exercises with Allied and partner nations in the European and African theaters are integral to demonstrate Alliance readiness, interoperability, and capability.

Imagery will be available on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service at https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/USArmyEURAF.

For questions regarding U.S. Air Force participation in Swift Response, please contact USAFE-AFAFRICA Public Affairs as +49 06371-47-6558 or email usafepao.pao@us.af.mil or usafepa.pastaffdutyofficer@us.af.mil.