Watch the NATO tank competition where the US lost to Germany, Denmark, and Poland

US Army photo by Pfc. Javon Spence

A German solider peers out the hatch of a Leopard 2A5 tank during the Strong Europe Tank Challenge.

On May 13, seven platoons from six NATO nations squared off for the Strong Europe Tank Challenge, a a three-day tank competition that tested offensive and defensive operations.

The German platoon took first place, with Denmark taking second and Poland taking third.

The US platoons did not place in the contest, which was the first of its kind since 1991. 

The joint competition in Grafenwoehr, Germany, underlines a large scale effort to increase military readiness in Eastern Europe as Russia increasingly engages in threatening behaviors.

Increasingly, military planners are beginning to realize that conventional warfare, like infantry and tank brigades, are needed to deter, or even win a conflict with Russia.

"To maintain the whole portfolio of capabilities, it is really important to also train together with tanks," said German Army Brig. Gen. Markus Laubenthal, chief of staff for US Army Europe in a US Army statement. "We want to promote the capabilities of armored warfare and tanks because it is needed."

"It is really important to work together with other nations as close as you can," he said. "Only training and integration build interoperability and trust for success in multinational operations."

In the slides below, see exactly how the competition went down.