The multinational Special Operations Forces exercise, Trojan Footprint 2026 (TFP26), has been officially opened at the Special Operations Command base named after Major Gela Chediya in Mukhrovani, Georgian Public Broadcaster reports.
The Deputy Commander of the Georgian Defence Forces, Major General Irakli Chichinadze, the United States Marine Corps Attaché, Lieutenant Colonel Rhett Christensen, and the Special Operations Commander, Colonel Teimuraz Klateishvili, addressed the servicemen and women participating in the exercise, as well as guests. They spoke of the importance of international training for Special Operations Forces and wished the servicemen every success in carrying out the exercise.
Representatives of the Defence Forces, defence attachés of the participating nations, and members of the core group of the NATO-Georgia Substantial Package (SNGP) attended the opening ceremony.
Trojan Footprint 2026 is a Special Operations Forces exercise conducted simultaneously across several Eastern European countries. Within its framework, Georgia is hosting Black Sea Gateway 2026, which encompasses both land and maritime operations.
Georgia is hosting the multinational exercise for the fourth time.
Servicemen and women from the Special Operations units of Georgia, the United States, Poland, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Romania participate.
According to the Ministry of Defence of Georgia, the Special Operations Command Rangers Battalion, the Eastern and Western Special Operations Battalions, representatives of the LEPL Defence Volunteer, National Guard reconnaissance companies, and Territorial Reserve personnel contribute to the international exercise from the Georgian Defence Forces.
The multinational exercise in Georgia is being jointly organised by the United States Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR) and the Georgian Defence Forces, under the leadership of the Special Operations Commander.
