US Halts Deployment, Recalls Troops from NATO’s Biggest Drill Due To Coronavirus Threat

By Staff, Agencies

The Pentagon announced it is drastically reducing the “size and scope” of its participation in the NATO ‘Defender Europe 2020’ exercise, stopping just short of calling quits on the much-touted drill set to run until May.

Some 20,000 US soldiers, who were expected to form the backbone of the massive 37,000-strong drill involving forces from 18 NATO member states, will now either stay home or – for those already moved into Europe – return to the US.

“As of March 13, all movement of personnel and equipment from the United States to Europe has ceased,” US Army Europe confirmed in a press release on Monday. “As we make the appropriate adjustments, the linked exercises to Exercise Defender-Europe 20 – Dynamic Front, Joint Warfighting Assessment, Saber Strike and Swift Response – will not be conducted.”

The US European Command carefully avoided spelling out the number of troops that would take part in the scaled-down exercise, saying that “many details [are] still being worked and discussed with our Allies and partners.” However, it expressed hope that at least “the armored brigade combat team already deployed to Europe will conduct gunnery and other combined training events with Allies as part of a modified Allied Spirit exercise.”

Instead, the Pentagon emphasized its unprecedented commitment to “alliances and partnerships” and boasted of 6,000 soldiers and 3,000 pieces of equipment it had already moved to Europe – while admitting that “changes are anticipated to the deployment timelines” now, due to the abrupt need to send everything back.

According to earlier reports, the Patriot carrier vessel – a cargo ship supposedly delivering US military equipment to Europe for the drills – has already changed its route and is returning to the States.

Satellite data on its position last released on March 13 showed it was sailing east of the Azores Archipelago and was still on its way to Belgium. Two other ships involved in transporting US military equipment as part of the drill have been docked in the Dutch port of Vlissingen for quite some time – yet, they have not been unloaded.