The skies near Jönköping, Sweden were full of NATO’s airborne forces as they descended under parachutes for exercise Swift Response 2024.
Airborne forces from Hungary, Italy, Spain and the United States were dropped at an auxiliary airstrip by US Air Force C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft. After landing, the forces secured the airfield and prepared to conduct an air assault with US Army Reserve helicopters.
An annual US-led exercise, Swift Response helps NATO Allies practise the complex art of multinational airborne operations, ensuring their readiness to respond in the event of a crisis. This is one of the first exercises Sweden has hosted since becoming a full NATO member in March 2024.
Swift Response 2024 is part of Steadfast Defender 2024, NATO’s largest collective defence drills in decades, featuring the participation of around 90,000 troops contributed by all 32 NATO Allies.
Footage includes shots of paratroopers jumping out of aircraft, landing in Sweden, and preparing to move out with US Army Reserve helicopters, as well as interviews with Swedish and US officers.
Transcript
---SHOTLIST—
(00:00) VARIOUS SHOTS – US AIR FORCE C-17 GLOBEMASTER TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT DROPPING PARATROOPERS NEAR JÖNKÖPING, SWEDEN
(00:14) VARIOUS SHOTS – PARATROOPERS DESCENDING AND LANDING
(00:35) VARIOUS SLOW-MO SHOTS (MUTE) – C-17 DROPPING TROOPS
(00:52) MEDIUM SHOT – ITALIAN PARATROOPER STOWING PARACHUTE WITH US PARATROOPER IN BACKGROUND
(00:57) MEDIUM SHOT – SPANISH PARATROOPER STOWING PARACHUTE
(01:01) VARIOUS SHOTS – US PARATROOPER STOWING PARACHUTE
(01:16) SLOW-MO SHOT (MUTE) – US SOLDIERS MARCHING
(01:23) VARIOUS SHOTS – US PARATROOPERS MARCHING
(01:54) VARIOUS SLOW-MO SHOTS – US PARATROOPERS MARCHING
(02:17) MEDUM SHOT – US PARATROOPER MARCHING
(02:22) VARIOUS SLOW-MO SHOTS: US PARATROOPERS MOVING OUT
(02:33) VARIOUS SHOTS – US PARATROOPERS PREPARING TO MOVE OUT
(02:59) VARIOUS SHOTS – ITALIAN PARATROOPERS PREPARE TO MOVE OUT
(03:34) SLOW-MO SHOT (MUTE) – ITALIAN PARATROOPERS
(03:41) VARIOUS SHOTS (MUTE) – SPANISH SOLIDERS EAT RATIONS BEFORE AIR ASSAULT TRAINING
(04:07) VARIOUS SHOTS – US SOLDIERS TRAIN FOR AIR ASSUALT
(04:57) MEDIUM SHOT – US SOLDIERS BOARD HELICOPTERS BEFORE CONDUCTING AIR ASSAULT
(05:03) SOUNDBITE (English) US Air Force Major General James Kriesel, US European Command
“Certainly, it sends a message of coherence and capability to our NATO Allies and partners, so one, within. Two, outwardly, certainly a capability that few can do, right? So that’s a message to any chronic threat that we do have this particular capability, among many, many others.”
(05:29) SOUNDBITE (English) Swedish Army Major General Michael Cherinet
“For us in the Swedish Armed Forces, this exercise is very much about host nation support. Something that is pretty new to us, but is also very important, of course. Being able to execute this exercise only two months as newcomers in NATO, I think, sends at least a strong message about the strength and the possibilities coming with us being part of the Alliance.”
(05:53) SOUNDBITE (English) US Army Major Joseph Morse, Executive Officer, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment
“So, during this operation, called Swift Response 24, we have been planning since roughly around, as a battalion, with the 1-503rd, we have been planning since I would say around September. From there, a series of meetings, a series of working with our coalition allies and partners to make this operation happen. There’s a lot of logistics, a lot of pre-training to go into, and then a lot of coordination, not only with the host nation of Sweden, but also with our unit as well, moving out from Aviano.”
(06:22) SOUNDBITE (English) US Army Major Joseph Morse, Executive Officer, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment
“What we are demonstrating is not only our capability, one, working with our allies and partners, and two, is to show that we are ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.”
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