NATO’s largest exercise since the Cold War, Steadfast Defender 2024, which will involve around 90 000 troops, will test how US troops and other NATO allies could reinforce their allies in countries bordering Russia in the event of conflict, on Thursday the 18th of January, said NATO top Commander Criss Cavoli, reports Reuters.
More than 50 ships, from aircraft carriers to destroyers, as well as more than 80 combat aircraft, helicopters and drones and at least 1 100 combat vehicles, including 133 tanks and 533 infantry fighting vehicles, will take part in the exercise, which will start next week, NATO said.
Although NATO did not explicitly name Russia in its statement, the alliance’s main strategic document identifies Russia as the most immediate threat to the security of its member states.
According to Chris Cavoli, the Steadfast Defender 2024 exercise aims to demonstrate NATO’s ability
to rapidly deploy forces to strengthen Europe’s defences in a simulated conflict scenario with a “near-peer adversary”.
According to NATO, the last exercises of a similar scale were Reforger – during the Cold War in 1988 with 125 000 participants – and Trident Juncture in 2018 with 50 000 participants.
The second phase of Steadfast Defender will focus on the deployment of NATO’s rapid reaction force in Poland.
The Baltic States, which are considered to be the most vulnerable to a potential Russian threat, will be the main locations for the exercise, together with Germany and countries on the periphery of the Alliance, including Norway and Romania.
BNN already reported that 30 NATO countries and Sweden will take part in the exercise, with the UK committing 20 000 military personnel for NATO exercises in Europe.
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