Germany and allies hold major military exercise on Rhine River

Military units from four countries on Saturday carried out a large crossing of troops and heavy vehicles of the Rhine River in Germany during combined drills.

Some 1,200 soldiers and 500 vehicles are involved in the 14-day exercise which is due to be completed by the end of next week, according to the Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces.

During the “Grand Crossing” in Kalkar, forces from the German-British Pioneer Bridge Battalion 130 from Minden were reinforced by a Dutch and an Italian company.

The task was to build ferries with their own systems to ensure the crossing of the waterway after days of elaborate preparations and reconnaissance.

The Rhine is around 300 metres wide in Kalkar. The troops and vehicles had been moved to their destination on public roads.

After the Rhine, there will be another planned crossing of the river Weser in the Hameln area of Lower Saxony in the coming days.

Onlookers should keep a safe distance from the vehicles, the Bundeswehr warned.