Lithuanian land forces commander Brig. Gen. Arturas Radvilas, left, and 7th Army Training Command leader Brig. Gen. Steven Carpenter speak about exercise Allied Spirit at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, on March 12, 2025. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

HOHENFELS, Germany — Lithuanian and British troops helped lead the fight at the U.S. Army’s Bavarian training grounds this week, practicing how they would counter drone and helicopter attacks in battle.

During this year’s annual Allied Spirit exercise, the decision to put allies in front coincides with a Pentagon push to have European countries play a larger security role on the Continent.

The Army’s Joint Multinational Training Center in Hohenfels is hosting the exercise, which runs through March 24, bringing together nearly 3,000 service members from the U.S. and 12 NATO and partner nations.

The exercise has featured drones, attack helicopters, simulated artillery, medical and psychological operations and civil affairs units, all competing against the training area’s resident opposition force, the black-uniformed 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment.

Lithuania, a Baltic country considered a front-line state in the defense of NATO’s eastern flank, is leading this year’s Allied Spirit, which is focused on preparing a multinational brigade to deter Russian aggression.

On Wednesday, Senior Pvt. Kestas Dziugas, a drone operator from the Lithuanian army’s Motorized Infantry Griffin Brigade, launched a small, off-the-shelf model for reconnaissance from atop a hill near the unit’s mobile headquarters.

Maj. Avoldis Juskevateus, who works in operations, watched from outside an infantry fighting vehicle.

Juskevateus has been working with American counterparts from the 28th Infantry Division, 173rd Airborne Brigade and 12th Combat Aviation Brigade.

“We feel safe with the U.S.A. guy standing next to us, so I believe everything is all right,” Juskevateus said. We “tested our procedures, improved our understanding of each other. A lot of lessons that we learned in this.”

U.S. forces “provide a lot of assets that we don’t have,” he said, citing the aviation brigade’s capabilities as an example.

Nearby, the British 88th Gun Battery hid artillery pieces under trees and camouflage netting. Gunner (Pvt.) Keelan Horton said they had successfully dodged both helicopters and drones trying to find them.

“We’re winning so far,” added Gunner (Pvt.) Travis Gaskin, who said European-led training is important under the current circumstances.

A soldier from the United Kingdom’s 88th Gun Battery posts security outside his unit’s command and control center during exercise Allied Spirit at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, on March 12, 2025. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

A soldier from the United Kingdom’s 88th Gun Battery stands at his unit’s command and control center during exercise Allied Spirit at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, on March 12, 2025. The monthlong exercise involves 3,000 service members from 13 countries, including the U.S. and the U.K. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

A soldier from the United Kingdom’s 88th Gun Battery sits with her squad during exercise Allied Spirit on March 12, 2025, at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

Lithuania’s armed forces took a leading role during exercise Allied Spirit at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

A British soldier from the 88th Gun Battery patrols around the unit’s command and control center during exercise Allied Spirit in Hohenfels, Germany, on March 12, 2025. Personnel from 13 countries have gathered for the exercise, which is focused on incorporating tactics gleaned from the Russian-Ukraine war. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

A Lithuanian soldier stands outside an M577 armored personnel carrier March 12, 2025, during exercise Allied Spirit in Hohenfels, Germany. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

A French attack helicopter takes flight during exercise Allied Spirit at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, on March 12, 2025. France is among the 13 countries taking part in this year’s exercise. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

A Lithuanian soldier sits in the turret of an M577 armored personnel carrier during exercise Allied Spirit in Hohenfels, Germany, on March 12, 2025. Lithuanian forces are joining service members from 12 other countries in the exercise. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

“If it comes to a real-time situation, then we’ve got a better idea of what we’re doing instead of just going in blind,” he said.

Brig. Gen. Steven Carpenter, head of the 7th Army Training Command, surveyed the action alongside Lithuanian land forces commander Brig. Gen. Arturas Radvilas.

Carpenter took questions during a press conference that delved into uncertainties over NATO’s future, as the White House and the Pentagon review the U.S. global force posture.

“What’s not uncertain is the fact that the United States believes that a strong (American) presence, a strong NATO presence is not just a deterrent in Europe, it’s a deterrent globally, because all of these conflicts are interconnected,” he said.

Earlier this week, an alliance spokesman said that all 32 allies, including the U.S., are continuing to plan and execute exercises together, following a Swedish newspaper report saying that U.S. would no longer take part in them.

Radvilas said that Allied Spirit was proceeding as it normally would.

“We don’t know maybe what we can expect in the future,” he said. “Up to now, we don’t see any changes at all.”