NATO holds largest exercise since Cold War

Approximately 90,000 troops will participate in the Steadfast Defender 2024 exercise, which is expected to run through May, according to the coalition's top commander, Chris Cavali, on Thursday.

NATO said that more than 50 ships, from aircraft carriers to destroyers, would participate, along with more than 80 fighter jets, helicopters, and drones, and at least 1,100 combat vehicles, including 133 tanks and 533 infantry fighting vehicles.

Polish military vehicles are transported during NATO's TUMAK-22 exercise at the Suwalki Gap area in Klusy, Poland, on November 25, 2022. Photo: Reuters

Cavali said the exercise would practice NATO's implementation of its regional plans, the first defense plan the alliance has outlined in decades, and how NATO would respond to an attack.

NATO did not explicitly name Russia in its statement. However, the group's top strategic document identifies Russia as the most direct and significant threat to the security of NATO members.

NATO stated: “Steadfast Defender 2024 will demonstrate NATO’s ability to rapidly deploy forces from North America and other areas of the alliance to bolster Europe’s defenses.”

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 soldiers participating in the exercise, which simulated the deployment of personnel to Europe as well as field drills, came from NATO countries and Sweden, nations hoping to soon join the alliance.

In the second part of the exercise, particular emphasis will be on the deployment of NATO's rapid reaction force to Poland on the alliance's eastern flank.

Other key locations for the exercise will be the Baltic states – considered to be at the highest risk from a potential attack, Germany – a supply hub – and countries on the fringes of the alliance such as Norway and Romania.

Mai Anh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/nato-to-chuc-cuoc-tap-tran-lon-nhat-ke-tu-chien-tranh-lanh-post281529.html