Starting from mid-February and until the end of May, a series of exercises will be carried out, mainly on the ground and in the air, involving up to 80 air platforms, such as F35 fighter jets, helicopters and drones, as well as over 1.000 combat vehicles. including 166 tanks. The epicenter will be in Poland and the Baltic states, as well as in Germany, which will serve as a major center for reinforcement and coordination. […]
While official NATO documents do not directly say that they are exercising for a possible Russian offensive on allied territory, it is very clear that they want to test how they would fare ”during a simulated developing conflict scenario with a close opponent”. Privately, NATO sources admit without hesitation that ”of course this is about Russia”.
And, simply, take a look at the alliance’s geography and training schedule and it becomes even more evident. Roughly speaking, the Steadfast Defender 24 training includes two phases. The first, which will slowly begin in late January, involves the transatlantic buildup of forces. This is actually the key to seeing if the United States can deploy large numbers of troops and equipment to continental Europe to prepare a defense. […]
The second phase of the exercise is just as crucial, and it is likely to be this phase that will most truly show whether NATO can defend its most vulnerable eastern flank.
The purpose of this phase, according to the alliance, is to see if the alliance can ”conduct and develop complex multi-domain operations for several months, over thousands of kilometers, from northern to central and eastern Europe, and in all kinds of conditions.” . Again, this is the kind of war that could be expected if Russia attacked. […]
But exercises are also expected across the Nordic region, including Sweden, as well as the Czech Republic, Hungary, North Macedonia, Romania and non-NATO countries, as well as constitutionally neutral Moldova. For obvious reasons, nothing will take place in Ukraine and Ukrainian troops will not participate in any of the exercises. Läs artikel