Joint training: British and Germans defend the eastern border!

Joint training: British and Germans defend the eastern border!

The military cooperation between Germany and Great Britain comes to an important highlight in Paderborn: The exercise "Cerberus" transforms the Senne military training area into a fictional combat area for two weeks. Brigadier general Fritz Kuhn is enthusiastic about the realistic scenario that his British colleagues have designed. Here the troops simulate an emergency in which an enemy army that resembles the Russian armed forces has crossed the NATO-East border.

In this intensely prepared exercise, it is important for British and German soldiers to reverse the attacking troops together. "The British are very well trained and we can learn a lot from them," says Kuhn. A central aspect of the exercise is the coordination of the different military systems and overcoming linguistic barriers.

classified communication

The entire exercise is carried out in English, which ensures clear communication between the troops. The command is headed by Major General Oliver Brown, a high -ranking officer of the 3rd Division of the United Kingdom. The German Panzer Lehrbrigade 9 also falls under his responsibility during this exercise.

Brown is impressed by his German colleagues and is happy about their good English skills. "I have to admit that we wouldn't get far with my German," he says. In his opinion, this cooperation is essential for Europe's security and emphasizes the need to practice regularly so that you can really act together in an emergency.

Fictional combat area and detailed evaluation

The exercise extends over an area of 116 square kilometers and presents the various units with realistic challenges. The soldiers have to master their tasks and then it is evaluated together what worked well and where there are still improvement options. This feedback acts as a testimony to the services in the exercise "Cerberus 2024".

The intensive planning phase of this exercise lasted a whole year. Major Tony Meagor, who was involved right from the start, emphasizes the high level of reality of the scenario, which is of great importance for the soldiers. After the successful implementation in 2022, the Senne site is again the venue for the British exercises.

In summary, it can be said that "Cerberus" is not just a training camp, but is also an important step in the military cooperation between NATO partners. These exercises strengthen the trust and operational readiness of the troops and ensure that they can function as a unit in an emergency. At a time when geopolitical tensions increase, the importance of such joint exercises becomes all the more clear.