Exercise Black Swan 2022, an international special operations project took place between April 25 – May 13, 2022 in Hungary, co-organized by the Hungarian Defense Forces and the U.S. Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR). Soldiers from Hungary and all R-SOCC (Regional Special Operations Component Command) partner countries, including Austria, Croatia, Slovakia and Slovenia, were involved, under Hungarian command, and soldiers from the United States, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Romania also participated.
Exercise Black Swan 2022 is part of the larger Trojan Footprint 22, the annual multinational exercise organized by U.S. Special Operations Command Europe to test military synchronization capabilities and to defend multiple domains in Europe simultaneously.
Trojan Footprint 22 is the premier special operations forces (SOF) exercise in Europe with 30 participating nations. While the exercise is focused on improving the ability of SOF to counter a myriad of threats, it also increases integration with conventional forces and enhances interoperability with our NATO Allies and European partners. Trojan Footprint 22 fortifies military readiness, cultivates trust, and develops lasting relationships which promote peace and stability throughout Europe. No nation can confront today’s challenges alone – Trojan Footprint 22 demonstrates the resolve of NATO to defend the sovereignty of NATO nations, and to work with regional partners for a secure and stable Europe. Regardless of language, nationality, territory, all allied and partner SOF are responsible for supporting conventional forces in unconventional ways to help defend global security.
Trojan Footprint and Black Swan provide opportunities to evaluate SOF capabilities, particularly the more complex aspects of combined SOF integration.
