187th Folgore in Germany, Slovenia, and Lithuania for the exercise with NATO Airborne Community

In recent days, the paratroopers of the "Folgore" Brigade participated in the NATO international exercise "Swift Response 2025", an integral part of Defender '25 and the broader program of Large Scale Global Exercises. The event took place between Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, involving numerous allied forces.

Planning and Air Drop

Following a joint planning phase with the 173rd Airborne Brigade of the United States, the maroon berets of the 187th Paratrooper Regiment "Folgore" boarded Italian C-130 and American C-17 aircraft at the air bases of Cerklje (Slovenia) and Spangdahlem (Germany). Subsequently, the paratroopers were dropped on the Memel drop zone of the Gaziunai training area in Lithuania, where they conducted a Joint Forcible Entry Operation, aiming to capture and secure the airport area.

Air Assault and Combined Fire Operations

Aboard German NH-90 helicopters, the paratroopers conducted an air assault near the Pabrade training area (Lithuania), where they executed a complex combined fire breach operation, a minor yet complex fire attack, with the opening of a breach on a minefield by paratrooper sappers and the support of American artillery, perfectly integrated into the maneuver.

In the following days, the intense training program included offensive and defensive combat in complex urban areas (Military Operations in Urban Terrain - MOUT range) and anti-tank shooting activities with the Spike LR-1 system. These activities were essential to refine the operational capabilities of the paratroopers in realistic and complex contexts.

Deployment and Force Integration

The 187th Paratrooper Regiment "Folgore" deployed on the ground the tactical group command and a smaller complex reinforced by a platoon of the 8th Paratrooper Engineer Regiment "Folgore", a team from the 185th Paratrooper Artillery Regiment "Folgore", a platoon of paratrooper scouts from the 183rd Paratrooper Regiment "Nembo", a Drop Zone Security Team from the Parachuting Training Center, and a technical-logistical component from the 183rd Paratrooper Regiment "Nembo" and the "Folgore" Logistic Regiment.

This exercise confirms the constant commitment of the "Folgore" Paratrooper Brigade, as a major combat unit in reserve for the Army's needs, in ensuring the readiness and effectiveness of the land military instrument, essential to face emerging challenges in the current international context. The Brigade continues to demonstrate its operational excellence, maintaining a level of preparation that makes it always ready to intervene in crisis scenarios.