Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili looks forward to welcoming members of the U.S. military arriving in Georgia to participate in Exercise Jackal Stone 2016, which will take place at the beginning of August. The bilateral exercise will use a counterterrorism scenario to help enhance Georgia-U.S. interoperability.

“We look forward to the arrival of all the U.S. military servicemen travelling here to participate in Jackal Stone 2016,” said Prime Minister Kvirikashvili. “This exercise will help both Georgia and the United States improve our joint-capabilities and advance our common goals of peace, security and stability.”

Jackal Stone 2016 will involve approximately 700 military, civil, and government personnel from Georgia and the U.S. It will prepare participants to conduct counterterrorism operations with partner forces and interagency organizations through tactical and doctrinal knowledge sharing.

Georgia and the U.S. enjoy close, cooperative military relations. Georgia is the largest non-NATO troop contributor to NATO’s Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, with up to 900 Georgian military personnel serving alongside U.S.and allied soldiers. Georgia also provides a company-size unit to NATO’s Rapid Response Force.

“Exercise Jackal Stone 2016 will build upon the already strong security partnership we have with the United States,” said Prime Minister Kvirikashvili. “It will increase our interoperability as partner nations to better address potential security issues.”

While the exercise scenario was designed to portray realistic and relevant security challenges, it is not connected to any real-world events. All events and maneuvers have been cleared by local officials to ensure the safety of the Georgian people.

Jackal Stone 2016 is part of U.S. European Command's Joint Training and Exercise Program, which is designed to enhance interoperability with Allied and partner nations and support counter terrorism operations.