
A Spanish amphibious assault vehicle brought Spanish ground forces ashore during an amphibious demonstration at Palanga, Lithuania, during BALTOPS 2019. USNI News photo.
PALANGA, LITHUANIA – Spanish amphibious assault vehicles swam ashore from an American amphibious dock landing ship, with ground forces filing out with their machine guns and taking a position on the beach. Romanian ground forces spilled out of a Polish PTS tracked vehicle, shortly before seven landing craft from three nations slid up onto the beach in perfect symmetry. British forces fast-roped down out of an AW101 Merlin helicopter at the same time Spanish troops did the same from their AH-3 Sea King helo.
As the U.S. Navy and its NATO allies showed off the various ways they could take a beach from the sea, they were also showing a deeper commitment to collective security in the Baltic Sea and in Europe in general. Read More →