All good things come from above

About 440 soldiers, led by the 26th Parachute Regiment, parachuted yesterday, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Lithuania as part of an exercise. The objective of Exercise Swift Response is to improve cooperation in multinational airland operations.

On May 15, 2025, the first German soldiers from the 26th Parachute Regiment set off together with Dutch comrades from the 11th Air Mobile Brigade using military transport aircraft from Saarbrücken Airport. The remaining troops will move today. A total of four aircraft - three German A400M and one Dutch C-130 - are bringing the paratroopers to the drop zone near Rukla in Lithuania. After jumping, the soldiers will join American, French, and Italian comrades on the ground to liberate several enemy-occupied objects near an airfield.

The exercise is under the command of the American 173rd Airborne Brigade and is part of the Defender Europe exercise series of the U.S. Armed Forces in Europe (USAREUR). In total, around 320 German and 120 Dutch soldiers from the Rapid Forces Division are participating in the exercise. Additional paratroopers from the USA, Italy, and France are also involved.