STUTTGART, Germany, Sept. 19, 2017 — U.S. military personnel began participation today in Exercise Aurora 2017, a Swedish national exercise designed to strengthen regional defense capabilities.

The exercise continues through Sept. 27 and will take place in Mälardalen, Stockholm, Gotland and Gothenburg, Sweden. It is the largest national exercise hosted by Sweden in more than 20 years.

“The interoperability and cooperation of Sweden and the United States remains vital,” said Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, U.S. European Command commander. “I look forward to continued future military exercises, like Aurora 17, in which we can all learn and share valuable information for the profession of arms.”

In addition to 19,000 Swedish participants, approximately 1,300 U.S. service members from the Army, Marines and Navy will take part in the exercise. Participating Army and Marine Corps forces include elements of the Army’s 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade and the 2nd Cavalry Regiment; the Minnesota Army National Guard’s 194th Armored Regiment; the Nebraska Army National Guard’s 134th Infantry Regiment; the Kentucky Army National Guard’s 149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade; and Marine Rotational Force Europe 17.2. Participating Navy forces include the destroyer USS Oscar Austin and a P-8A Poseidon from Maritime Patrol Squadron 16.