NATO to stage ‘biggest military drills’ since Cold War: Report
NATO will stage its largest drills since the Cold War era, involving tens of thousands of troops in Germany, Poland and the Baltics, a report says.
The Financial Times reported on Monday that the military alliance would hold its biggest military exercises since the conclusion of the World War, adding that the war games would simulate the war in Ukraine.
Intended to boost NATO’s readiness for such a scenario, the Steadfast Defender drills involve virtually 41,000 troops, more than 50 ships, and between 500 and 700 combat air missions, the report said.
Citing NATO officials, the FT said the drills would be aimed at simulating a full-scale clash with a fictional coalition named “Occasus.” They said the war games are “seen as a key part of demonstrating to Moscow that the alliance is prepared to fight.”
The war games will be a first in terms of technical capability, using real-world geographical data to create more realistic scenarios for troops.
The report said the drills would be held in Germany, Poland, and the Baltic states in February and March 2024. The drills will involve not only the NATO member states, but also Sweden.
Despite striving to join the US-led military bloc, Sweden has not yet managed to become a NATO member, largely due to Turkey and Hungary’s opposition to Stockholm’s formal membership request.
According to the FT, the drills, with a purported focus on counterterrorism efforts outside of NATO’s borders, are seen as part of a new training strategy by the bloc to hold two major war games annually instead of one.
Russian officials have time and again said they perceive NATO’s military build-up as a threat, warning that such moves will only increase tensions in the region.
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