Simulating combat with Russia, NATO will hold its largest exercise since the end of the Cold War next year | Baltic Sea | NATO
NATO will hold its largest exercise since the end of the Cold War next year.
This exercise is known as the "staunch defender" military exercise, which will gather more than 40000 soldiers to simulate combat against Russia. It is said that this exercise will, for the first time, use real-world geographic data to create more realistic scenes for the troops.
The joint military exercises will be held in Germany, Poland, and Baltic coastal countries in February and March next year, involving 500 to 700 air combat missions, over 50 ships, and approximately 41000 soldiers. In addition to NATO countries, Sweden, which has not yet been approved to join NATO, will also participate in the exercise, with 32 participating countries.
According to reports, this military exercise is part of NATO's rapid shift from crisis response to a combat alliance. In addition to involving Russia, training will also be conducted to address the threat of international terrorism.
At present, NATO is conducting a two-week annual "North Coast" naval exercise in the Baltic Sea, which will start on September 9th. The exercise will involve approximately 30 warships and 3200 personnel from 14 countries, with the main area being near the coasts of Estonia and Latvia.
The announcement states that the "Northern Coast" joint military exercise is one of the largest military exercises in Europe, and this year's exercise will focus for the first time on high-end warfare and the collective defense of NATO allies. The exercise subjects include amphibious warfare, air defense, sea to land strikes, and ensuring the safety of maritime routes. The countries participating in this NATO military exercise include all NATO member states along the Baltic Sea coast, as well as member states such as the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Sweden.