A U.S. Army Europe-directed annual exercise involving about 4,000 troops has begun at the Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels training areas in Germany.

Participants from the U.S. and ally and partner nations will participate in Saber Junction 20 at the U.S. Army’s Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels training areas Aug. 3-27, 2020.

Saber Junction 20 is a 7th Army Training Command-conducted, U.S. Army Europe-directed annual exercise designed to assess the readiness of the U.S. Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade to execute unified land operations in a joint, combined environment and to promote interoperability with participating ally and partner nations.

Participating nations are Albania, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania, Ukraine and the United States.

Ukraine will be represented by a unit from the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

This year’s exercise will take place primarily at 7ATC’s Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels Training Areas in Bavaria. U.S. military forces stationed in Europe routinely conduct these types of exercises with allied and partner nations to enhance interoperability and readiness.