The US detachment is a part of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, the sole unit permanently stationed in Europe, which uses the Stryker vehicles. The plan of the Dragoon Crossing exercise, which began on 9th September, assumes that the vehicles are going to be deployed via the territories of Czech Republic and Slovakia, so that it would be possible for them to take part in the operations planned in Hungary.

River crossing is one of the elements of the exercise. The operation is going to involve the US 4th Squadron of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, and the paratroops from the 173rd Airborne Brigade, supported by the Hungarian troops. At the same time Slovak Shield exercise takes part in Slovakia. The operations are going to involve the soldiers hailing from the V4 Group and from the USA.

Dragoon Crossing joint training exercise, which – similarly as in case of the Dragoon Ride operation – is going to make it possible to verify and demonstrate the NATO rapid deployment capabilities within the own territory of the alliance. The exercise constitutes an element of increased NATO and US presence in the Mid-Eastern Europe, and it is integrated with displays for the local communities – similarly as it happened in case of the Dragoon Ride exercise.

After the deployment is completed, the units of the 2nd Cavalry Division are going to take part in the Brave Warrior exercise involving, in total (within a variety of periods) 1800 Hungarian, American, Ukrainian, Slovenian, Croatian and Romanian soldiers. It is worth noting that the Hungarian Army is – at the moment – occupied with the operations related to protection of the country’s border. According to the statements made by the Hungarian Minister of Defence, 3800 troops are currently deployed in the southern area of the country, dealing mainly with erection of the border barrier.