MONS, Belgium - As Polish Leopard II tanks along with Albanian, Spanish and British infantry secured the final objective, so ended the Distinguished Visitors Day on Exercise Brilliant Jump 16 Deployex. 

Some 2,500 personnel took part from May 17 to 26 conducting eNRF (enhanced NATO Response Force) deployment functions both in Wroclaw and Zagan, Poland. 

Under the command of Joint Force Headquarters Brunssum (JFCBS), The Netherlands and the Multinational Corps Headquarters North East in Sczezcin, Poland, the Spanish led VJTF (Very high readiness Joint Task Force) HQ carried out a significant deployment from locations in Spain to the Reception areas and then onward movement. Formations from Albania, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom, making up the bulk of the VJTF Forces in a crisis response scenario, also carried out a rapid and efficient movement once the order had been given.

Commander JFCBS General Salvatore Farina said, "This exercise has fully demonstrated the ability of NATO to rapidly respond to the evolving security challenges. Exercise BRILLIANT JUMP has demonstrated how capable the VJTF is at rapid response and movement to any territory within the Alliance."

"I am hugely impressed by the professionalism and capability of both the Spanish VJTF HQ elements and the contributing forces to this standby force. I am also very grateful to the Polish MOD for their forces within the eNRF and in hosting this exercise so effectively."

This exercise has been the first to test both the Multinational Headquarters and the Reception Staging and Onward Movement functions of the NATO Force Integration Unit Poland based in Bydgoscz. With the movement of national forces by land, sea and air from many nations it has been a logistical success.

Commanding Officer 2 Mercians, British Army Lt Col Ben Wade said, "Interoperability is a word used often, but if at the tactical level it is weak there are consequences. On this exercise my Regiment has trained with and operated regularly with Albanian and Spanish infantry right down to section level and the results have been very impressive. The quick integration, the standardisation and the resulting effect is formidable. "Indeed these multinational forces within this VJTF are clearly a highly capable, agile and extremely effective fighting force designed to decisively defend Alliance territory" he added.