Operation Saber Strike

This theater security cooperation exercise provides commanders and their staffs practical experience in organizing, controlling and supporting coalition operations and allows the United States, NATO and participating nations to demonstrate their own roles in contributing and enhancing multinational interoperability and preparing participants for worldwide contingency operations.

Saber Strike 2011 was the first of what would be an ongoing cooperative training effort between the four nations bonded by the War in Afghanistan, intended to increase the combat readiness of forces preparing to deploy in support of the ISAF.

This was a second Saber Strike exercise program (scheduled from June 10–22), and was part of a cooperative training effort primarily focused on the three nations of the Baltic States.

This exercise prepared participants to operate successfully in a joint, multinational, integrated environment with host-nation support from civil and governmental agencies.

Saber Strike 2014 was for the fourth time conducted, as multilateral security cooperation exercise (scheduled from June 9–20) at locations throughout the Baltic region.

During the three-week exercise troops from 10 countries including the United States, would practice techniques and protocols for coordinating action in defense and assault operations.

Saber Strike 2014 would become the largest-ever exercise, with 4,700 troops and over 800 military vehicles, such as M2 Bradley, M1126 Stryker, and various APCs: XA-180, XA-202, and M113 taking part in the training.

In addition to Poland, the exercise included operations in Latvia and Lithuania, countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union and have joined NATO.

[2] Countries on Europe's eastern flank register concern about Russian aggression in Ukraine (→ War in Donbass since March 2014).

[3][4] Sabre Strike 2016 was criticized by German Foreign Minister Steinmeier in June 2016 as "loud saber-rattling and war cries".