Special Operations Forces from NATO Allies North Macedonia and Romania practised integrating with conventional forces during US-led Exercise Combined Resolve XV, held in Germany between 1 February and 5 March 2021.
SOF operators from the North Macedonia Special Operations Battalion, nicknamed the “Wolves”, worked with their Allied counterparts from the Romanian Army’s 51st Special Operations Battalion and US Army Special Forces to support conventional units from different Allied and partner nations.
To safeguard against COVID-19 infection, all participating nations tested their soldiers prior to and after deploying, and quarantined prior to the start of the exercise. Social distancing is practised wherever training conditions allow.
Footage includes shots of SOF operators training on air assault procedures, Romanian troops conducting a helicopter infiltration, missions in the field and interviews with US Army Special Forces officer and an officer from North Macedonia.
SHOTLIST
1. (00:00) VARIOUS SHOTS – US ARMY UH-60 BLACKHAWK HELICOPTERS LANDING IN SNOWY FIELD
2. (00:17) VARIOUS SHOTS – NORTH MACEDONIA SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES OPERATORS WALKING THROUGH SNOW
3. (00:41) WIDE SHOT – ROMANIAN SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES OPERATORS WALKING IN COLUMN
4. (00:45) MEDIUM SHOT – BACKPACK OF ROMANIAN OPERATOR SHOWING FLAG AND UNIT PATCH
5. (00:48) VARIOUS SHOTS – US ARMY CREW CHIEFS BRIEFING OPERATORS ON HOW TO BOARD AND DISEMBARK A BLACKHAWK
6. (01:06) MEDIUM SHOT – ROMANIAN OPERATORS BOARDING A UH-60 BLACKHAWK
7. (01:11) VARIOUS SHOTS – NORTH MACEDONIA OPERATORS BOARDING A UH-60 BLACKHAWK
8. (01:37) VARIOUS SHOTS – ROMANIAN OPERATORS BOARDING AND DISEMBARKING A BLACKHAWK WHILE THE ROTORS ARE SPINNING
9. (02:05) VARIOUS SHOTS – NORTH MACEDONIA OPERATORS BOARDING AND DISEMBARKING A BLACKHAWK WHILE THE ROTORS ARE SPINNING
10. (02:42) MEDIUM SHOT – ROMANIAN OPERATORS ARRIVING AT LANDING ZONE IN HUMVEES
11. (02:48) WIDE SHOT – ROMANIAN OPERATORS LOADING WEAPONS NEAR LANDING ZONE
12. (02:52) MEDIUM SHOT – ROMANIAN OPERATORS PUTTING ON AND ADJUSTING RUCKSACKS
13. (02:59) MEDIUM SHOT – ROMANIAN OPERATORS WALKING TO US ARMY BLACK HAWK HELICOPTERS
14. (03:03) CLOSE-UP – US ARMY BLACKHAWK PILOT SEEN THROUGH HELICOPTER WINDSHIELD
15. (03:05) WIDE SHOT – US ARMY APACHE ATTACK HELICOPTERS LIFTING OFF FROM LANDING ZONE WITH ROMANIAN OPERATORS IN FOREGROUND
16. (03:15) MEDIUM SHOT – ROMANIAN OPERATOR BOARDING BLACKHAWK
17. (03:19) MEDIUM SHOT – ROMANIAN OPERATOR INSIDE BLACKHAWK
18. (03:29) VARIOUS SHOTS – BLACKHAWKS STARTING UP AND FLYING TO LANDING ZONE
19. (03:45) VARIOUS SHOTS – ROMANIAN TROOPS DISEMBARKING BLACKHAWK
20. (04:00) VARIOUS SHOTS – ROMANIAN TROOPS PATROLLING THROUGH WOODS
21. (04:24) VARIOUS SHOTS – ROMANIAN TROOPS APPROACHING VILLAGE AT DUSK
22. (04:37) MEDIUM SHOT – ROMANIAN TROOPS ENTERING SAFEHOUSE
23. (04:45) WIDE SHOT – US ARMY JOINT TERMINAL ATTACK CONTROLLER (JTAC) INSIDE NORTH MACEDONIA SAFE HOUSE
24. (04:49) VARIOUS SHOTS – NORTH MACEDONIA TROOPS PREPARING FOR RECONNAISSANCE MISSION
25. (05:10) WIDE SHOT – NORTH MACEDONIA HUMVEES LEAVING SAFE HOUSE
26. (05:16) WIDE SHOT – NORTH MACEDONIA HUMVEE CONVOY MOVING DOWN DIRT ROAD
27. (05:21) MEDIUM SHOT – NORTH MACEDONIA OPERATOR PULLING SECURITY
28. (05:26) WIDE SHOT – NORTH MACEDONIA JTAC SETTING UP RADIO WITH US ARMY JTAC IN FOREGROUND
29. (05:30) VARIOUS SHOTS – NORTH MACEDONIA JTAC SETTING UP RADIO
30. (05:44) VARIOUS SHOTS – ROMANIAN RECONNAISSANCE TEAM RETURNING FROM MISSION
31. (05:59) MEDIUM SHOT – ROMANIAN SOF OPERATORS PLANNING MISSION
32. (06:03) VARIOUS SHOTS – ROMANIAN SOF OPERATORS PREPARING FOR MISSION AND DEPARTING SAFE HOUSE
33. (06:33) VARIOUS SHOTS – ROMANIAN SOF OPERATORS CARRY OUT DIRECT ACTION RAID IN DARKNESS
34. (06:59) VARIOUS SHOTS – ROMANIAN SOF OPERATORS SEARCH SAFE HOUSE FOR INTELLIGENCE
35. (07:22) SOUNDBITE (English) – OFFICER (Name and rank withheld for operational security purposes), US ARMY SPECIAL FORCES
“So the benefit of training with and integrating special operations forces from multinational countries into exercises like this is because it brings together a scenario where we can practise a collective defence. In the event that we have to band different Allied nations together, it’s not the first time that we’re running through all the systems and processes that we’re going to have to figure out to conduct operations in a multinational environment.”
36. (05:10) SOUNDBITE (English) – OFFICER (Name and rank withheld for operational security purposes), US ARMY SPECIAL FORCES
“It’s a tremendous opportunity for us to not only tie in multinationals with the US partners, but also to tie multinationals in with adjacent and partnering countries, and see how they solve problems and work together.”
37. (08:03) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – OFFICER (Name and rank withheld for operational security purposes), SPECIAL OPERATIONS BATTALION, NORTH MACEDONIA
“We are members of Special Forces Battalion, we came from North Macedonia and we are here several times, several rotations on this exercise Combined Resolve.”
38. (08:17) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - OFFICER (Name and rank withheld for operational security purposes), SPECIAL OPERATIONS BATTALION, NORTH MACEDONIA
“On this exercise, our value is to integrate interoperability with the other NATO members. We are proud to be a NATO member.”
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