• The US-Army led multinational, joint exercise ‘DEFENDER-Europe 21’ has kicked off, in Albania on April 26, 2021 and will be conducted in more than 30 training areas in 12 countries during April, May and June, including Western Balkan countries.
• The annual US-led military exercises will be comprising of 28,000 forces from 26 nations, including the United States, NATO countries and their allies.
• The aim of such large-scale drills is designed to build readiness and interoperability between US and NATO and partner militaries.

NATO :

• NATO is North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. It is an intergovernmental military alliance between thirty North American and European countries.
• In 1947, France and UK signed the “Treaty of Dunkirk” (This was the inception of NATO). It was a military alliance between the countries. It was signed in the event of possible attack by Germany or Soviet Union in the post-World War II conditions. The US, Canada, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Portugal and Iceland joined the treaty in 1949.
• The first NATO military exercise was held in 1952.