Multinational Rapid Reaction Strength ready to « defend values » of the EU
The army, through the mechanized brigade, certified this Thursday in Santa Daisy a multinational force for rapidly reaction from the European Union (EU). Force will respond to international crises and “defend the values of freedom and democracy” in the EU.
“This force is commanded by Portugal, is made available to the EU as part of a framework of principles and values that the integration countries defend it, and it is to defend this framework of principles and values of democracy, humanity, freedom, that this force will be employed,” the Chief of Staff of the Army (Ceme).
Having highlighted the importance of the joint exercise of a multinational force that the Portuguese army will command, for the first time, through the mechanized brigade, General Mendes Ferrão stated that the rapid reaction force will not assume combat missions, rather stabilization of crisis situation.
« This strength is for stabilization missions and crisis response operations (in a conflict frame or international crisis). It is neither designed nor is it permitted to fight high intensity, » he said at the end of the Orion Exercise, which took place in the Military Field of Santa Margarida (CMSM).
Over May 5 at CMSM, the Orion25 exercise, which involved 1,700 military personnel from five countries, aimed to “exercise integration and interoperability among the forces participating in the Battelgroup Commitment” (EUBG) of the EU.
The exercise has also made sure the strength to respond to the “typology of more demanding operations that can be attributed to it”, that is, prepared to assume a “Operation of response to a non -permissive crisis,” said General Ceme.
« It is a large, large demand, which especially aims to show the technical and tactical proefficiency, at the individual and collective level, of the forces that are here, because only doing these exercises can we have confidence in the strength we can make available to the EU, » said Mendes Ferrão, quoted by Lusa agency.
The Orion25, which constitutes “the greatest exercise of the earth’s component” of the European multinational force, involved around 1,700 military and 350 vehicles from the five countries – Portugal, France, Italy, Romania and Spain – of a total of the 2,200 military personnel who make up the fast reaction force under the European commitment.
