RIGA, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Saber Strike 18, an annual U.S.-led multinational military training exercise, kicked off in Latvia on Sunday, spokesperson with the Latvian Defense Ministry informed.
Saber Strike 18, one of the largest ground and air forces' exercise organized by the U.S. in Europe, will be taking place in four countries: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland, with the participation of 18,000 soldiers from 19 countries.
In Latvia, the drills will be held from June 3 to 15 in 10 municipalities, the Latvian Chief of Defense, Lieutenant General Leonids Kalnins, said last week on public television.
The NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup stationed in Latvia is also involved in the Saber Strike exercise.
The main goal of the exercise is to test the allied forces' readiness to respond to potential conventional military threats, Kalnins said.
The Saber Strike exercise is organized annually since 2010.