The U.S. Army's Europe-based 7th Army announced on Monday that over 4,000 U.S. and allied troops will participate in "Saber Junction 20" exercises in August.

The annual event is conducted by the 7th Army Training Command and directed by U.S. Army Europe. It is designed to assess the readiness of the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade, the U.S. Army's Contingency Response Force in Europe, and "to execute unified land operations in a joint, combined environment and to promote interoperability with participating ally and partner nations," a 7th Army statement on Monday said.

The 173rd Airborne Brigade is stationed in Germany and Italy. The exercises will be conducted at U.S. Army training facilities at Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels, Germany, from Aug. 3 to Aug. 27. Participating nations will include Albania, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania, Ukraine and the United States. All but Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine are NATO member countries.

Safety measures, to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, will be in place for the exercises. The Joint Multinational Readiness Center has already moved to the Hohenfels training area. Methods including temporary restriction of movements, social distancing and rotational shift work are parts of the plan.

"For Saber Junction 20, JMRC is creating the safety bubbles that will protect all forces along with the local community during the exercise," said Lt. Col. Kristopher Gillett, chief executive officer at JMRC.

USS Eisenhower, carrier strike group head to Mediterranean Sea
Washington DC (UPI) Jul 27, 2020 - The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, at sea for 192 days, has moved from the Middle East to the Mediterranean Sea, the Navy announced on Monday.

The carrier is operating within the U.S. Navy's 6th Fleet's area of responsibility as it eventually heads toward Norfolk, Va., its home port, the branch said in a press release.

Carrier Air Wing Three, part of Eisenhower's CSG, spent the weekend conducting day and night precision-guided munition and live ordinance strike drills in the Karavia Range of Greece.

The planes performed air-to-air combat maneuvers and tactical training with planes of Greece's navy, according to Navy officials.

"The Karavia Range provides a truly unique training opportunity," Capt. Trevor Estes, commander of the air wing, said in a press release.

"It gives my pilots the ability to train with precision-guided live ordnance in order to maintain current readiness levels and assure that the striking arm of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group will continue to be functionally sharp throughout our sustainment period at home," Estes said.

The CSG had been operating with the 5th Fleet in the Middle East since March, the start of increased tension between the United States and Iran.

The group, known as CSG-10, includes the flagship aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and its eight-squadron Carrier Air Wing Three, eight guided-missile destroyers and about 7,500 personnel.

Ahead of the USS Eisenhower's departure from Middle East waters, the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group entered the 5th Fleet area of operations on Friday to maintain presence there.

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US calls on India to reduce dependence on China
New Delhi (AFP) July 22, 2020
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday called on India to tamp down its dependence on Chinese goods, amid growing tensions between Washington and Beijing. In remarks to a US-India virtual business summit, Pompeo said New Delhi was a natural partner to Washington as "one of a few trusted, like-minded countries". "India has a chance to attract global supply chains away from China and reduce its reliance on Chinese companies in areas like telecommunications, medical supplies, and others," h ... read more