The multinational exercise “Defender Europe ’25”, one of the largest and most complex drills of the past decade in Europe and Africa, began a few days ago from Albania.
As part of the exercise, a simulated naval operation took place in the territorial waters of Durrës, about 6 miles from the port. According to media reports, the scenario involved Albanian Navy vessels “Lissus,” “Oriku,” and “Semani,” as well as two U.S. Navy ships and two “Cougar” helicopters from the Albanian Air Force.
The U.S. Embassy in Tirana stated that the Adriatic Sea became a simulation stage today for conducting maritime operations as part of “Defender25.”
In a Facebook post, the embassy said that two patrol boats from the U.S. Navy’s Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron escorted the Albanian Navy ships during the drill, which also featured Albanian forces boarding a naval vessel by rope.
The embassy emphasized:
“DEFENDER 25 is the largest annual exercise of the U.S. Army in Europe, bringing together 25,000 troops from 29 allied and partner countries to enhance rapid deployment and readiness for joint operations.”
“These exercises are essential to ensure that NATO Allies remain prepared to face real security challenges,” the U.S. Embassy in Tirana stated.
