Around 4,000 troops to take part in NATO’s Dacian Spring 2025 military exercise in Romania

Roughly 4,000 troops and 913 military vehicles from ten NATO countries will take part in the multinational exercise Dacian Spring 2025 (DASP 25), scheduled to take place in Romania between May 5 and 23. The participating countries include Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain.

The exercise is planned and led by the Headquarters Multinational Division Southeast (HQ MND-SE) and will take place across multiple training grounds in Romania, including Smârdan, Cincu, Capu Midia, Bogata, and Frecăței.

Romanian forces from all service branches - land, air, naval, and cyber - will train alongside troops from the Multinational Brigade Southeast Command and allied contingents.

The aim is to strengthen collective defense readiness and improve interoperability among NATO forces under the command and control structure of HQ MND-SE, the Romanian Ministry of Defense (MApN) said.

A key feature of this year’s edition is the first-ever deployment of a Belgian maneuver battalion to Romania, marking a milestone in the country’s NATO collaboration.

The first troops began entering Romania on April 16 through the Nădlac border crossing, heading by road to the Bogata training area.

Romanian officials emphasized that NATO exercises like DASP 25 are defensive and transparent in nature, carried out in full compliance with the country’s international commitments.

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