The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation recently launched the joint military exercises in Albania called the “DEFENDER-Europe 21”. Thousands of military forces from the US are participating in the exercise.
About DEFENDER-Europe
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The exercise is an annual US-led multinational exercise.
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It is defensive in nature.
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It focuses on deterring aggression.
DEFENDER Europe 21
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In 2021, the exercise is to focus on building operational readiness and interoperability.
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More than 28,000 troops of the US and its allies are participating.
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More than 26 countries are to conduct simultaneous operations in more than thirty training areas from Black sea, Balkan regions to Baltics and Africa.
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The USNS Bob Hope is to demonstrate unloading heavy equipment onto the smaller vessels.
NATO
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NATO is North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. It is an intergovernmental military alliance between thirty North American and European countries.
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In 1947, France and UK signed the “Treaty of Dunkirk” (This was the inception of NATO). It was a military alliance between the countries. It was signed in the event of possible attack by Germany or Soviet Union in the post-World War II conditions. The US, Canada, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Portugal and Iceland joined the treaty in 1949.
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The first NATO military exercise was held in 1952.
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Soviet Union signed the Warsaw pact to counter NATO.
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was signed after the integration of West Germany into the NATO. It was signed in 1955. It was signed in Warsaw, Poland. It was signed between the Soviet Union and the seven other countries in the central and eastern Europe. There were no military dealings between them like that of NATO. However, conflicts were fought on ideological basis and also in proxy wars. The largest military engagement of Warsaw pact was the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. Albania and Romania did not participate in the invasion. Later Albania withdrew from the pact. (Albania joined NATO in 2009).
The other countries of Warsaw Pact that participated in the invasion were Poland, Soviet Union, Hungary, East Germany and Bulgaria.