On Thursday, NATO announced the commencement of its largest military exercise in decades, named Steadfast Defender 2024, set to begin next week.
The exercise involves 90,000 troops and aims to assess the allies’ capability over several months to engage in a conflict with a potential adversary such as Russia.
Running until late May, Steadfast Defender 2024 will include units from all 31 NATO member countries, along with candidate-member Sweden, as stated by US General Christopher Cavoli, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, during a press briefing.
The exercise comprises a series of smaller individual drills that will extend from North America to NATO’s eastern flank, in close proximity to the Russian border, Barron’s reported.
It will feature the participation of 50 naval vessels, 80 aircraft, and over 1,100 combat vehicles.
This extensive exercise, the largest since the 1988 Reforger drill during the Cold War, takes place as NATO reevaluates and strengthens its defenses in response to Russia’s actions in the war on Ukraine.
Written by B.C. Begley
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B.C. Begley 