TIRANA, June 7 /ATA/ The multinational exercise “Defender 25,” one of the largest and most complex drills of the past decade in Europe and Africa, began a few days ago in Albania.
As part of the exercise, a simulated naval operation was conducted in the territorial waters of Durrës, about 6 miles from the port.
Prime Minister Edi Rama shared moments from the exercise today on social media, which is being conducted under the leadership of the U.S. European Command, in close cooperation with NATO allied and partner countries.
In this joint exercise, the Albanian Naval Fleet ships “Lissus,” “Oriku,” and “Semani” participated, along with two American ships and two “Cougar” helicopters from the Air Force.
For the first time, Albania deployed its unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as Bayraktar drones, in this exercise, providing real-time footage to the Brigade Command in Zall-Herr.
At the core of the demonstration was a simulated incident in which Albanian and American naval forces intervened against a suspicious vessel that was leaving territorial waters without authorization. These interventions were carried out from both air and sea and were monitored by the Bayraktar drone.
Led by the United States European Command (USEUCOM) and conducted in cooperation with NATO allied countries and strategic partners, the exercise will continue until June 9, 2025.
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