German troops were among 700 personnel under the orders of Polish officers. Norwegian and Danish personnel also participated in the operations near the Polish Baltic city of Szczecin.

"The troop command exercises are directed by the Polish 12th division based on Szczecin," said a Polish military spokesman, quoted by PAP news agency:

"It's the first time since Poland joined NATO (in 1999) that troops of other countries in the Alliance have come under Polish command."

Officers from the Baltic states of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia attended as observers.

Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary were the first former Warsaw Pact states to join NATO after the fall of communism.

The former Soviet constituent republics of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia are also scheduled to join the alliance, together with former Warsaw Pact states

Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia -- the last earlier joined with the Czech Republic as Czechoslovakia.

A further future member will be the former Yugoslav republic of Slovenia.

SPACE.WIRE