Approximately 4,000 soldiers and 913 pieces of miltary hardware from Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal and Romania will participate, May 5-23, in the multinational exercise Dacian Spring 2025 (DASP 25), organised in Romania, the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) informed on Wednesday.
The exercise is planned and led by the Multinational Division Command South-East (HQ MND-SE) and will be carried out simultaneously in the training ranges of Smardan, Cincu, Capu Midia, Bogata and Frecatei
DASP 25 is attended by structures all branches of the Romanian armed forces – land, air, naval and cybernetics – alongside troops from the Multinational Brigade Command South-East and NATO contingents, contributing to the development of NATO reaction and interoperability.
The main objective of the exercise is to practice a collective defence operation and to strengthen the integration of the participating forces in the command and control architecture of the HQ MND-SE.
Under DASP 25, the deployment of a Belgian manoeuvre battalion to Romania will take place for the first time.
According to MApN, the first troops enter Romania on Wednesday, through the Nadlac border crossing, and will travel by road to the Bogata range.
For the proper conduct of DASP 25, the national authorities, together with NATO allies, take all necessary measures to minimise the impact on local communities and road traffic, with the trips being conducted mainly at night.
NATO exercises, such as DASP 25, are said to be defensive and transparent, being carried out in full compliance with Romania’s international obligations.
