In the first half of 2024, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will conduct a series of large-scale exercises near the borders of Russia and Belarus.
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| NATO is preparing to conduct two large-scale exercises in the first half of 2024. (Source: EU Today) |
Notably, these include Steadfast Defender 2024, the West's largest exercise since the Cold War and will last about two months.
The Steadfast Defender 2024 exercise will involve more than 100,000 military personnel from 32 countries. Poland will play a special role in these events as the main actions will take place in Poland and the Baltic States.
Following the conclusion of Steadfast Defender 2024, the Nordic Response 2024 exercise will take place with the participation of 20,000 NATO soldiers.
Nordic Response 2024 will be held in the northern regions of Norway, Sweden and Finland, including the respective air and sea areas.
The sea portion of the exercise involved more than 50 submarines, destroyers, frigates, aircraft carriers and amphibious ships.
More than 100 fighter jets, transport aircraft, naval reconnaissance aircraft as well as CH43 Super Stallion, Merlin, Cobra and Osprey helicopters will take part in air drills near the border of the Russian-Belarusian Union State.
The main phase of the Nordic Response 2024 exercise is scheduled to take place from March 3-14 near the Norwegian cities of Bjerkvik and Tromsø. This exercise, like Steadfast Defender 2024, is of significant scale and strategic importance.
Reuters reported that on January 15, British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps announced that the country "will send about 20,000 troops to participate in one of NATO's largest deployments since the end of the Cold War."
The deployment includes 16,000 British Army troops who will be stationed in Eastern Europe from February to June, an aircraft carrier strike group, F35B Lightning strike aircraft and surveillance aircraft.
NATO’s Steadfast Defender 24 exercise marks the 75th anniversary of the Western alliance. “Our troops will join forces with partners from 30 NATO countries and Sweden, providing vital reassurance against threats,” Shapps said.
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