International exercise Orion tests NATO operations in Santa Margarida

More than 1,400 soldiers from four NATO countries will be involved from this Monday until May 10 at the Santa Margarida Military Camp (Constância) in Orion24, the largest annual exercise conducted by the Portuguese Army.

“Exercise Orion24 is the main tactical exercise programmed by the Portuguese Army and led by the Land Component Command, and is part of the Military Training and Exercises Program of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)”, involving Army military personnel, but also of the Portuguese Air Force and some Allied Nationstold Lusa an official Army source.

The exercise, which will take place under an intervention scenario under article 5 [do Tratado do Atlântico Norte]with the practice of “coordination” and “interoperability with allied countries”, involves combat vehicles and joint training with live fire at the Santa Margarida Military Field, in the district of Santarém, with military forces from four NATO countries, alongside observers North Americans.

Orion24, according to the Army, “focuses on a readiness exercise, where the Land Forces Command provides the Command and Control structure for force planning and decentralized execution”, in an exercise that involves around 1,400 participants, from including 129 Spanish, 25 Romanian and 17 Slovak soldiers.

Of the vehicles that will take part in the exercise, combat cars and armored vehicles such as the Leopard 2 A6 and M113, the Pandur, the VAMTAC (4×4 wheeled vehicles), or the Pizarro, Spanish armored vehicles, stand out.

Orion24, which runs from April 29th to May 10th, includes the troop projection and withdrawal phase and includes a transmission exercise and cross-training of operations, culminating in a joint live fire action.

The scenario to be used in Orion24 “is based on the most recent and realistic NATO scenario, based on current and future Alliance operations”, an official Army source told Lusa, as part of an exercise that will focus on the land component but will also include with the participation of two F16s from the Portuguese Air Force.

“To train interoperability between militaries from various countries in offensive and defensive tactical operations, and in delay and reconnaissance operations, within the scope of planning, coordination and execution for NATO missions under Article 5”, are some of the objectives of Orion24 , which will culminate in a multinational exercise with live fire involving armored vehicles and fire from tanks and heavy machine guns.

In Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which binds the parties involved, it can be read that “an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack on all, and, consequently, they agree in which, if such an armed attack occurs, each, in the exercise of the right of self-defence, individual or collective, recognized by article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, shall provide assistance to the Party or Parties so attacked, carrying out without delay , individually and in agreement with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and guarantee security in the North Atlantic region.”

The final phase of execution of Orion24 will be dedicated to the execution of real fires, the purpose of which is the “synchronization of fire, the movement and tactical maneuver of the ground forces, in an exercise characterized by its combined matrix and where the multiple capabilities and valences of the Portuguese Army they will train jointly with soldiers from armies of allied countries”, namely Spain, Romania and Slovakia.