Raw Footage: Brilliant Jump Live Exercise in Poland

Video by Jackie Faye Burton

U.S. European Command

Feb. 26, 2024 | 5:26

In the first half of 2024, NATO will conduct a series of exercises under the overarching umbrella of STEADFAST DEFENDER-24 (STDE-24).

A key element of STDE-24 will be the NATO-led exercise BRILLIANT JUMP-2024 (BRJU-24). This exercise is an operational and tactical level Alert and Deployment Exercise (ALERTEX/DEPLOYEX). The aim is to train and test NATOs Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) in planning and conducting a deployment and the ability to respond to a potential multidimensional armed crisis, thus contributing to strengthening the Alliances’ deterrence and defense capabilities, demonstrating its strength and determination stemming from its unity. This year’s participating countries are Albania, Poland, Spain, Turkey and the UK. Created in 2014 as part of the NRF, NATO's VJTF is the spearhead troop element maintained at 24-hour notice to move. The VJTF is around 20,000 strong including multinational land brigade, air, maritime, and special force components. The exercise demonstrates NATO’s resolve and capability to project and operate in Europe. It is designed to test VJTF nation’s ability to project force to a point of need, ready to meet the Commander’s Required Date.

This video contains images from Media Day, a land vehicle exercise in the Drawsko Pomorskie training facility, where troops from all five countries will test their interoperability. The footage contains images of tanks, mechanised combat vehicles, drones, and infantry troops shooting and testing their capability to work together as a cohesive unit. You will see Reconnaisance (UK, Turkey), Infantry (UK, Albania), Armour (Spain, Poland) and Artillery/Engineers (the UK).

---SHOTLIST—
(00:00) VARIOUS DRONE SHOTS (MUTE) - BRITISH ARMY ARMOURED VEHICLES (JACKALS) AND SPANISH TANKS MOVING ON THE TRAINING FIELD. INFANTRY UK/ALBANIAN SOLDIERS CLEARING THE FIELD AND ADVANCING THROUGH NATURAL COVERS
(00:27) VARIOUS SHOTS - INFANTRY SOLDIERS MOVING AT NIGHT THROUGH THE FIELD
(00:40) VARIOUS SHOTS - A UK SOLDIER PROVIDING TACTICAL GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION TO A GROUP OF COMRADES AMIDST LIVE COMBAT OPERATIONS
(00:49) VARIOUS SHOTS - UK INFANTRY SOLDIERS ENGAGING TARGETS WITH FIREARMS
(01:45) VARIOUS SHOTS - UK/ALBANIAN INFANTRY GETTING OUT OF AN ARMOURED VEHICLE, RUNNING THROUGH RED SMOKE SCREENS, DUCKING AND SHOOTING
(01:56) VARIOUS SHOTS - INFANTRY SOLDIERS ADVANCING THROUGH THE FIELD AND IN NATURAL COVERS AND SHOOTING
(02:35) CLOSE-UP - A POLISH SOLDIER WEARING A BALACLAVA AND A HELMET
(02:38) VARIOUS SHOTS - BRITISH ARMY ARTILLERY SOLDIERS ON ARMOURED VEHICLES, SHOOTING
(02:53) VARIOUS SHOTS - SPANISH TANKS ADVANCING ON THE FIELD
(03:05) VARIOUS SHOTS - BRITISH ARMY ARTILLERY SOLDIERS ON ARMOURED VEHICLES
(03:29) VARIOUS SHOTS - WIDE SHOT OF INFANTRY SOLDIERS RUNNING ALONGSIDE AN ARMOURED VEHICLE TOWARDS NATURAL COVER
(03:40) MEDIUM SHOT - MULTINATIONAL FORCES INTERACTING

(03:43) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – SPANISH LIEUTENANT GENERAL LUIS LANCHARES, DEPUTY COMMANDER, ALLIED JOINT FORCE COMMAND BRUNSSUM

“Brilliant Jump is one out of 14 exercises that are being executed in the context of the
exercise under the umbrella of NATO, the Steadfast Defender. The importance and
relevance of this exercise is related to the fact that this is the only one that is led by NATO. This
is a unique opportunity of training. The VJTF are the spearhead of NATO Response Force and
after having been here the whole morning, I have to say that we have the right leadership,
they’re committed and very professional troops with the right skills.”

(04:17) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – BRITISH ARMY BRIGADIER GENERAL GUY FODEN, VERY HIGH READINESS JOINT TASK FORCE (VJTF)/ LAND

“I’ve been delighted with what I’ve seen, we’ve done a lot of training as headquarters, as
commanders, and it’s the first time we’ve come together live with all of the troops. All of the
nations have trained hard on their own and today we have proven our interoperability, our ability
to work together and to deliver the result you saw today.”

(04:36) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – Polish Brigadier General Piotr Fajkowski, 11th Armoured Cavalry Division Commanding General

“Poland is in fact in the front line of the NATO, this is the eastern flank of the NATO, so we
have to be ready to fight first.”

(04:46) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – Albanian Lieutenant Odisea Kasa, Infantry Batallion

“The exercise was really good, everything went well, we had a lot of things to do, we had a lot of
enemies to take on, because other people had to stop back. Problems always happen. As we
say in the army, it is “first plan never survives the war”, so we had a second plan, a third plan,
so everything went well.”

(05:12) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – BRITISH ARMY BOMBARDIER MCENROE, JOINT TERMINAL ATTACK CONTROLLER

“I think, with all of the soldiers, it’s great to talk to them, especially about the different job roles
and find out things in common as well. It’s actually quite interesting to see how unique each
individual unit is from each nation, especially if we’re going to be working so closely together”.

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