Georgia, US hold NEXUS Georgia 2026 exercise to boost chemical and biological threat preparedness

Georgia’s State Security Service, in cooperation with the United States Defence Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), on Wednesday conducted the interagency field exercise NEXUS Georgia 2026 in Batumi, aimed at enhancing the country’s preparedness and response to chemical and biological threats.

The exercise brought together representatives of state agencies responsible for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) security, including relevant units of the State Security Service and the Ministries of Internal Affairs, Defence, Internally Displaced Persons from theOccupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs, Economy and Sustainable Development, and Finance.

During the exercise, participating agencies responded to three simulated chemical and biological incident scenarios in a realistic operational environment.

The drills provided an opportunity to test existing standard operating procedures, assess interagency coordination mechanisms, and identify potential gaps in incident response capabilities.

Based on the outcomes of the exercise, participating agencies will develop recommendations to address the identified challenges, while additional projects and training activities will be launched with the support of international partners.

A second simulation exercise is scheduled to take place in Mtskheta on September 8, focusing on practical response measures to incidents involving chemical and explosive substances at mass-gathering venues.

The State Security Service of Georgia and the US Defence Threat Reduction Agency have maintained a longstanding partnership focused on strengthening Georgia’s security capabilities.

Through this cooperation, DTRA provides substantial support for enhancing the resilience of Georgia’s security sector, including efforts to improve the country’s capacity to prevent, detect and respond to CBRN threats.