Exercise DACIAN FALL 2025 Enhances NATO Readiness and Interoperability on the South-Eastern Flank
13 November 2025
BUCHAREST, Romania — Headquarters Multinational Division South-East (HQ MND-SE) successfully concluded Exercise DACIAN FALL 2025 (DAFA25), a multinational training activity conducted from 20 October to 13 November 2025 across Romania and Bulgaria.
Planned and directed by HQ MND-SE, the exercise brought together more than 5,000 military personnel and approximately 1,200 vehicles and pieces of equipment from Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Spain. Training activities took place at Cincu, Smârdan, Capu Midia, Babadag, Bogata, Alba Iulia, Hanu Conachi, Giarmata and Cârțișoara in Romania, as well as at the Novo Selo Training Area in Bulgaria.
Strengthening Deterrence and Defence
DACIAN FALL 2025 strengthened NATO’s deterrence and defence posture in the Black Sea region by demonstrating the Alliance’s ability to integrate multinational forces and conduct operations under a unified command structure.
Allied formations trained in a realistic and demanding operational environment, conducting manoeuvre operations, live-fire activities, engineer missions, logistical support and multinational staff processes. The exercise enhanced operational readiness, validated command and control procedures and improved interoperability among formations assigned to HQ MND-SE.
A key objective was to test the arrangements required to scale NATO’s multinational battlegroups in Romania and Bulgaria up to brigade level. The exercise assessed the integration of additional capabilities and helped confirm their ability to operate effectively within NATO’s regional defence plans.
Multinational Forces Training Together
Throughout the exercise, Allied forces demonstrated their capacity to deploy, integrate and sustain combat-ready formations across national borders. The training also validated reinforcement procedures and highlighted NATO’s ability to respond rapidly to evolving security challenges in the region.
France, as the framework nation for NATO forces deployed in Romania, contributed approximately 2,400 personnel from the French 7th Armoured Brigade. Their participation alongside Romanian and other Allied forces reinforced the multinational character of the exercise and underscored the Alliance’s commitment to collective defence.
Demonstrating Readiness
The exercise included a Distinguished Visitors Day at the Joint National Training Center in Cincu, where senior military leaders and government officials observed multinational forces conducting complex operational scenarios. The event highlighted the professionalism, readiness and cohesion of participating troops and showcased NATO’s enhanced presence and capabilities in the region.
The successful completion of DACIAN FALL 2025 reaffirmed HQ MND-SE’s role as a key operational headquarters responsible for planning, coordinating and synchronizing land operations on NATO’s South-Eastern Flank. By training together in a realistic environment, Allied forces strengthened their ability to operate as one team and contributed to a credible and effective deterrence posture.