Artemis Strike is aimed at boosting air missile defense capabilities through "integration of allied assets," US Army Europe said. The exercise, named after the archery-skilled Greek goddess of the hunt, takes place at the NATO Missile Firing Range Installation in Chania, Greece, on the northwest coast of Crete.
— US Army Europe7️⃣5️⃣ (@USArmyEurope) November 6, 2017
Two-hundred US soldiers and about 650 German airmen are participating in the two-week exercises.
Artemis Strike is part of "a recent Chief of Staff of the Army initiative to… help bring back that capability of short-range air defense," Col. David Shank told Stars and Stripes.
The Army recently upgraded its fighting manual to prepare for "near-peer adversaries" who boast modern military capabilities, marking a shift from focusing on counter-insurgency operations. The military's battlefield "advantage… has steadily eroded," due to potential adversaries as Russia, China, North Korea and Iran having studied the Pentagon's modus operandi the past 15 years in Iraq and Afghanistan, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said.
The US and German personnel will fire up to 100 Patriot and Stinger missiles from Chania, Stars and Stripes reports. Shank called the exercise "a great opportunity for these soldiers to do what they came into the Army to do, and that's put steel on target," adding, "this is how we improve our craft."
📸 #TrainingTuesday: 🇺🇸 Soldiers recently conducted live fire training w/ @NATO forces from 🇪🇸 🇵🇱 and 🇨🇦 in 🇱🇻. #StrongEurope #WeAreNATO pic.twitter.com/IiLyHunomA
— US Army Europe7️⃣5️⃣ (@USArmyEurope) November 7, 2017
