Today, May 21 (Wednesday), a media briefing was held at the General Staff of the Army on the occasion of the commencement of activities for the multinational exercise Immediate Response 25 (IR-25), which will take place at the Army Training Area Krivolak from May 26 to June 9, 2025. The armed forces of seven NATO member countries (Republic of North Macedonia, United States of America, Albania, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, United Kingdom) and two partner nations (Austria and Kosovo) will be participating in the exercise.
The Immediate Response 25 exercise is part of the DEFENDER 25 series of exercises, organized by the United States European Command (USEUCOM) / U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) and the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia. The exercise will be conducted in eight countries in the region: Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, Slovakia and the Republic of North Macedonia.
The briefing was attended by the Chief of the Army General Staff (GS), Major General Sashko Lafchiski, the Commander of the Operations Command (OC), Brigadier General Mirche Gjorgoski, the co-director of the exercise, Lieutenant Colonel Risto Stoev, the spokesperson of the Army GS and key personnel from the GS and OC involved in the planning and preparation process of the exercise.
The Chief of the General Staff emphasized the importance of this exercise for both North Macedonia and USEUCOM/USAREUR-AF, highlighting that it represents an opportunity to showcase various types of armament and equipment. Around 2,200 participants will have the opportunity to exchange experiences in planning, applying various tactics, techniques, and procedures in accordance with NATO standards, and assess the level of interoperability and synchronization of specific actions in mountain warfare and other field operations. Additionally, participants will become familiar with innovative procedures involving equipment and technology being used for the first time at the ATA Krivolak.
The Commander of the Operations Command, Brigadier General Mirche Gjorgoski stated that this exercise will not only demonstrate the capabilities of ATA Krivolak, but also the high level of combat readiness of its participants.
Lieutenant Colonel Risto Stoev presented key information to the media regarding the type, objectives, activities, and participants of the exercise, as well as the opportunities for media coverage during its execution.
IR-25 is a multinational exercise which involves ground combat operations and live-fire exercises in order to enhance readiness, interoperability, and deterrence capabilities among NATO allies and partners.
