A massive NATO exercise involving at least 10,000 military personnel began on Monday in the territories of Greece, Romania and Bulgaria.
Nine NATO member countries will carry out STEADFAST DART 25 (STDT25), aimed at assessing the readiness and rapid deployment capabilities of NATO forces along the alliance’s eastern flank. The exercise is the first large-scale deployment of the Allied Reaction Force (ARF) since its establishment last year.
It is aimed at testing the deployable capabilities and procedures as well as the interoperability among the troop contributors and host nations.
Live capability demonstrations will be conducted including amphibious operations, live-fire airpower, and combined maneuvers across all domains.
The exercise involves air, land, naval and special operations forces; 17 ships; more than 20 aircraft and helicopters, including EF2000, F16, AV 8B HARRIER fighters and A400 transport aircraft; and more than 1500 pieces of military equipment, including tanks, multiple launch rocket systems, self-propelled artillery, infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and armoured personnel carriers (APCs).
The Allied Reaction Force takes charge of the exercise
The ARF replaced the NATO Response Force (NRF) on July, 1st 2024. It is a crucial element for the deterrence and defense of the Euro-Atlantic area, ensuring NATO is prepared to respond swiftly and effectively to any threat in an evolving security environment.
In the new NATO Force Model (NFM) aimed at making the Alliance stronger and able to deter and, if necessary, to defend against any potential adversary, the ARF has been specifically designed to complement NATO’s Regional Plans agreed upon by all Allies at the Vilnius summit in 2023.
NATO says that this force offers the Alliance a strategic, high-readiness, force-generated, multi-domain and multinational capability that can be deployed and employed immediately on the orders of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) to strengthen deterrence in peacetime and crisis, and support the Alliance’s defense in conflict.
NATO exercise amid tensions with Russia
NATO has been increasingly concerned about Russia’s activities along its eastern flank, prompting a series of strategic responses to bolster defense and deterrence in the region.
In response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and subsequent actions in Eastern Ukraine, NATO established the Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) in 2016. This initiative involves deploying multinational battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to serve as a deterrent against potential aggression.
Member states have increased defense spending and conducted regular military exercises to enhance readiness. For instance, large-scale exercises in Eastern Europe have been conducted to improve interoperability among allied forces.
NATO has been integrating advanced air and missile defense systems to counter potential threats from Russia. This includes deploying systems capable of intercepting various types of missiles, thereby strengthening the alliance’s defensive posture.
Related: Greek Fighter Jets Ace in the Skies at NATO Training
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