Exercise Combined Resolve

Exercise Combined Resolve
Name	Exercise Combined Resolve
Type	Multinational field training exercise
Location	Hohenfels Training Area, Grafenwöhr Training Area, Bavaria, Germany
Participants	United States Army Europe, NATO Allies, partner nations
First	2014
Frequency	Biennial/annual (varies)

Exercise Combined Resolve is a recurring large-scale multinational field training exercise focused on squad-to-corps level combined arms maneuver, command and control, and live-fire integration. It has served as a key readiness event for United States Army Europe formations, NATO Allied Command Operations, and partner nations, emphasizing interoperability with formations from Germany, Poland, United Kingdom, Canada, and other NATO members. The series ties into broader readiness initiatives such as the European Reassurance Initiative, the Operation Atlantic Resolve posture, and corps-level exercises including Saber Strike and Trident Juncture.

Background

The exercise emerged amid post-2014 security shifts in Europe following the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and the War in Donbas, aligning with strategic responses like the NATO Readiness Action Plan. Designed to test rotational force integration, Combined Resolve draws on doctrine from the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, lessons from the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), and Cold War-era maneuver concepts practiced by formations such as the V Corps (United States) and the 7th Army Training Command. It reflects coordination between theater commands including U.S. European Command and NATO’s Allied Land Command.

Objectives

Primary aims include validating command post procedures used by corps and division headquarters such as U.S. Army Europe and Africa, refining combined arms tactics practiced by 1st Infantry Division (United States), and enhancing cross-border logistics akin to exercises like DEFENDER-Europe. Secondary goals focus on integrating capabilities from units like 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, synchronizing fires with formations such as 3rd Infantry Division (United States), and improving rules of engagement coordination informed by precedents in Operation Atlantic Resolve and Operation Joint Guardian.

Participants and Organization

Participants typically include rotational brigade combat teams from the United States Army, multinational battalions from NATO members such as Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, United Kingdom, Canada, and partner countries like Sweden and Finland (pre‑NATO accession). Organizational structure mirrors a combined joint task force with components representing maneuver, fires, sustainment, aviation, and intelligence from formations like U.S. Army Europe, Multinational Corps Northeast, and divisional headquarters such as 1st Infantry Division (United States) or 7th Army Training Command. Supporting agencies include the NATO Communications and Information Agency and training institutions such as the National Training Center (United States) doctrine exchange teams.

Training Activities and Scenarios

Exercise activities span live-fire ranges, opposing force (OPFOR) engagements, urban operations, electronic warfare integration, and cyber defense scenarios. Scenarios draw on historical precedents in combined arms battles like the Battle of Kursk for armor maneuver lessons, doctrinal evolutions from the Reforger series, and urban combat insights from the Battle of Mosul (2016–2017). Training incorporates assisted after-action review frameworks used by the Combat Training Center network, simulated chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) drills referencing protocols from NATO CBRN Defence Centre of Excellence, and joint fires coordination with assets from U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa.

Timeline and Locations

The exercise has been conducted repeatedly since its inception at areas such as the Joint Multinational Readiness Center at Hohenfels Training Area and the Grafenwöhr Training Area in Bavaria, Germany. Notable iterations aligned with larger events like DEFENDER-Europe 20 and pre-positioned rotations associated with Operation Atlantic Resolve. The timeline includes increasing scale and complexity post‑2014, with phases scheduled to fit rotational readiness cycles managed by U.S. Army Europe and Africa and coordinated with NATO seasonal training windows.

International and Interoperability Aspects

Interoperability efforts emphasize common procedures drawn from NATO Standardization Office agreements, digital terrain management interoperability informed by NATO Interoperability Standards and Profiles, and communications interoperability tested with systems from NATO Communications and Information Agency. Logistics interoperability mirrors concepts from Strategic Mobility initiatives and corridor planning studies like those used in Trident Juncture, while legal and rules of engagement harmonization references agreements similar to those negotiated during Operation Unified Protector and ISAF multinational coordination.

Outcomes and Assessments

Assessments typically report enhanced readiness for rotational units, improved digital command-and-control integration, and refined tactics for combined arms, urban, and joint fires operations. Lessons identified have influenced doctrine revisions by United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), updates to multinational interoperability guidelines at the NATO Allied Command Transformation, and informed baseline readiness postures like those in the EFRAG (European Force Readiness Assessment). After-action reviews have led to capability upgrades in areas such as long-range precision fires, counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) integration, and sustainment practices aligned with lessons from Operation Atlantic Resolve and DEFENDER-Europe.

Category:Military exercises