Polish military vehicles are transported during TUMAK-22 NATO exercises in an area known as the Suwalki Gap, of crucial significance to the security of the alliance’s eastern flank, at a polygon in Klusy, Poland November 25, 2022. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo
NATO is set to embark on its largest military exercise since the Cold War era, known as Steadfast Defender 2024. This extensive drill aims to simulate the reinforcement of European allies, particularly those bordering Russia and situated on the eastern flank of the alliance, in the event of a conflict with a “near-peer” adversary. Approximately 90,000 troops are scheduled to participate in the exercises, scheduled to continue through May, according to Chris Cavoli, NATO’s top commander.
The multinational exercise will involve over 50 ships, ranging from aircraft carriers to destroyers, and more than 80 fighter jets, helicopters, and drones. Additionally, at least 1,100 combat vehicles, including 133 tanks and 533 infantry fighting vehicles, will be deployed during the drills.
The primary objective of Steadfast Defender 2024 is to rehearse the execution of NATO’s regional defense plans, marking the first such plans formulated by the alliance in decades. While NATO did not explicitly mention Russia in its official announcement, the alliance’s key strategic document identifies Russia as the most significant and direct threat to the security of its member states.
NATO emphasized that Steadfast Defender 2024 would showcase the alliance’s ability to swiftly deploy forces from North America and other regions to reinforce the defense of Europe. The reinforcement process will be enacted within the context of a “simulated emerging conflict scenario with a near-peer adversary,” as elucidated by Chris Cavoli during a press briefing in Brussels following a two-day meeting of national chiefs of defense.
Comparatively, the scale of Steadfast Defender 2024 surpasses previous large-scale NATO exercises, with the last exercises of comparable magnitude being Reforger in 1988 during the Cold War, involving 125,000 participants, and Trident Juncture in 2018, which had 50,000 participants.
Participating troops will hail from NATO member countries and Sweden, which aspires to join the alliance in the near future. The regional plans, integral to the exercise, were endorsed by NATO allies at the 2023 Vilnius summit, signifying a departure from a prolonged period during which the alliance perceived no necessity for large-scale defense plans, given engagements in smaller conflicts like those in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The latter part of the Steadfast Defender exercise will place specific emphasis on the deployment of NATO’s quick reaction force to Poland, located on the alliance’s eastern flank. Key locations for the drills include the Baltic states, considered particularly vulnerable to a potential Russian attack, Germany, serving as a hub for incoming reinforcements, and nations on the periphery of the alliance, such as Norway and Romania.
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