WARSAW, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The 'DEFENDER-Europe 20' military exercise began in Poland on Friday as troops of the United States Army were on their way into the country.
The first U.S. troops and equipment were scheduled to cross the German-Polish border near Kolbaskowo, in the northwest of the country, on Friday evening, while the Polish part of the exercise has already started, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak has said.
According to the Polish Defense Ministry, around 37,000 troops from 18 countries will participate in the exercise, the majority of which will be American troops both transferred from the U.S. and those already stationed in Europe, as well as 8,000 European troops, including 2,000 Polish soldiers. Polish civilian services, such as the police and fire service, will also be engaged.
'DEFENDER-Europe 20' will last until May, with the winding down period extending into June. Its main objective is to test the coordination of U.S. troops with allied forces and local civilian services.
