Toxic Valley 25: NATO Strengthens CBRN Readiness in Slovakia’s Unique Live-Agent Training Grounds

EMIANSKE KOSTOL’ANY, Slovakia — In a secluded Slovak valley, soldiers from more than eight NATO nations joined forces for Toxic Valley 25, one of Europe’s most advanced live-agent chemical defense exercises. Donning full protective gear, participants entered controlled “hot zones” to identify and neutralize real chemical warfare agents — a rare opportunity that few facilities in the alliance can offer.

Led by the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), the 110th Chemical Battalion, and the 53rd Civil Support Team from the Indiana Army National Guard, the multinational task force trained under strict safety protocols to enhance preparedness against Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) threats.

“Toxic Valley brings together NATO partners in an environment where we can focus on the protection warfighting function,” said Brig. Gen. Chris A. McKinney, Deputy Director of Partnering, Security Cooperation, and Weapons of Mass Destruction at U.S. European Command. “We’re perfecting detection techniques that allow us to deter, defeat, and operate in contaminated environments.”

Critical Training for Modern Battlefields

CBRN threats remain among the most complex challenges on modern battlefields. Exercises like Toxic Valley are vital for sustaining combat power, improving operational survivability, and refining joint response capabilities below the threshold of open conflict.

Slovakia hosts one of NATO’s few open-air CBRN testing and training centers, where allied forces can safely engage with live chemical agents. This capability allows NATO and U.S. units to execute mission-essential tasks under realistic conditions — an experience unavailable in most training environments.

“This center lets us complete up to 70% of our mission-essential tasks with live agents,” said Lt. Col. Casey J. Nunn, Commander of the 53rd Civil Support Team. “The stress and realism here push our teams to refine tactics against real-world CBRN threats — it’s unlike any training elsewhere.”

Building Interoperability and Confidence

The exercise also focused on joint rapid response, standardization of detection protocols, and interoperable decontamination procedures across allied units. Teams practiced sampling, identification, and mitigation of hazardous materials while strengthening decision-making under pressure.

By training together, U.S. and NATO units not only improved their technical skills but also built trust, cohesion, and a shared operational language for future missions.