Home  /  Newsroom  /  News  /  2021  /  NATO Allies enhance interoperability during exercise Winter Shield in Latvia

SZCZECIN, Poland - Between 22 November and 4 December, Allies with the Latvian Mechanized Infantry Brigade, NATO's enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroup Latvia and the U.S. 1 st Infantry Division conducted exercise Winter Shield. This annual military exercise served to upgrade Allied combat capabilities and interoperability, and demonstrate NATO's ironclad commitment to the Baltic Sea region.

A soldier with the Latvian Mechanized Infantry Bde prepares ammunition items for use during exercise Winter Shield at Camp Ādaži / Photo by SGT Ēriks Kukutis

Held in Ādaži, exercise Winter Shield provided ready and postured, combat-credible forces through multinational training and security cooperation activities.

This exercise in an outstanding opportunity for us to really demonstrate the interoperability we have; to be able to take Latvians, Americans, Czechs, Spanish and many others that all work together,

the Canadian Army Lieutenant Colonel John Benson, Commander NATO eFP Battlegroup Latvia, stated.

Winter Shield saw Allies performing multiple tasks which all worked towards improving tactical and technical proficiency during day and night operations. Apart from troops operating within the enhanced Forward Presence framework, the exercise was attended by soldiers with the U.S. 1st Infantry Division.

The ability to rapidly surge combat-ready forces into and across the theater is critical to be able to project forces at a moment's notice to support the Alliance.

Czech combat engineers with NATO's eFP Battlegroup Latvia erect a bridge to facilitate a wet gap crossing during exercise Winter Shield at Camp Ādaži / Photo by SGT Guillaume Landreville

Soldiers with the U.S. 3rd Bn, 66th Armored Regt, 1st Armored Bde Combat Team, 1st Infantry Div, fire a 25mm tracer round from an M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle during an integrated night live-fire exercise for Winter Shield in Ādaži / Photo by CPL Max Elliott

Soldiers with the U.S. 1st Bde Engineer Bn, 1st Armored Bde Combat Team, 1st Infantry Div and Spanish service members with NATO's eFP Battlegroup Latvia walk to the demolition site during a tree demolition training exercise for Winter Shield in Ādaži / Photo by SPC. Michael Baumberger

Soldiers with the Latvian Mechanized Infantry Bde during exercise Winter Shield at Camp Ādaži / Photo by SGT Ēriks Kukutis