NATO launched its biggest military exercises in decades with 90,000 personnel set to take part in months-long manoeuvres spanning the North Atlantic and Europe. Exercise “Steadfast Defender” will test the Alliance’s ability to defend against a near-peer adversary in an Article 5 scenario.

The Alliance will demonstrate its ability to reinforce the Euro-Atlantic area via trans-Atlantic movement of forces from North America. Planned over the course of several years, Steadfast Defender 24 will highlight NATO’s ability to deploy forces rapidly from North America and other parts of the Alliance to reinforce the defence of Europe.

“The Alliance will demonstrate its ability to reinforce the Euro-Atlantic area via trans-Atlantic movement of forces from North America. Steadfast Defender 2024 will be a clear demonstration of our unity, strength, and determination to protect each other, our values and the rules-based international order”, - said General Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

Steadfast Defender 24 will take place in several locations, with associated exercises running until May 31, 2024. It will be the first large scale NATO exercise where new defence plans will be put into action. It will show that NATO can conduct and sustain complex multi-domain operations over several months, across thousands of km, from the High North to Central and Eastern Europe, and in any conditions.