Multinational Exercises Test Coalition Forces' Readiness to Deploy to Ukraine
The KOALICJA 26.2 military exercises will take place in Poland from November 9 to 22, with additional stages in France and Türkiye. About 5,000 personnel from 12 countries will assess whether coalition forces can rapidly deploy land, air and maritime capabilities to support Ukraine after hostilities end.
Key points
- KOALICJA 26.2 is scheduled for November 9-22, mainly in Poland.
- Approximately 5,000 military personnel from 12 countries will participate.
- Roughly 2,800 personnel from 11 countries and nearly 2,000 Polish soldiers are expected to take part.
- France and the United Kingdom will jointly command the exercises.
- The exercises will cover troop deployment, protection, coordination, logistics and Black Sea mine-clearing operations.
- Ground, air, maritime and space units will participate.
- Additional stages will take place in France and Türkiye, including maritime exercises.
Why it matters
KOALICJA 26.2 is the first readiness test for multinational forces that coalition countries could form to support Ukraine after hostilities end. The exercises focus on rapidly deploying land, air and maritime capabilities and on operational mechanisms required for a future mission, including logistics, force protection, coordination and Black Sea mine-clearing operations.
What happened
The multinational exercises will run from November 9 to 22, primarily in Poland, with separate stages in France and Türkiye. France and the United Kingdom will lead the exercises jointly. Participants will train the deployment of ground, air, maritime and space units, as well as operational troop movements, unit protection, coordination and logistics. The program also includes training flights and planning for mine-clearing operations in the Black Sea. France hosts the multinational force's operational headquarters, while Türkiye will host stages involving the maritime component.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage presents the exercises as preparation for a possible multinational deployment in support of Ukraine after the end of combat actions. The reporting highlights the scale of the maneuvers, the participating countries, the command arrangement, deployment mechanisms and the participation of land, air, maritime and space components.
Background
The multinational force's operational headquarters is located in France. The exercises are organized by France and the United Kingdom and will bring together military personnel from France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Estonia, Spain, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Germany, Sweden, Türkiye and Poland.