Major maneuver “Steadfast Defender”
Germany mobilizes armored division against Russia
January 18, 2024, 7:22 p.m
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With “Steadfast Defender,” NATO is planning its largest maneuver in decades. Starting next week, around 90,000 soldiers are expected to take part. Germany is an important troop contributor for the exercise and is sending more than 12,000 men into action. The Bundeswehr should prove its combat effectiveness.
According to its own statements, the Bundeswehr will take part in the NATO exercise “Steadfast Defender”, which will last around four months, with, among other things, a four-stage large-scale maneuver. Under the name of “Quadriga 2024“More than 12,000 soldiers are expected to be deployed by the end of May and, in particular, to train skills for the rapid deployment of forces to NATO’s eastern flank. From mid-May, for example, the 10th Armored Division will deploy soldiers with combat vehicles to Lithuania in various ways and there in one show their ability to fight in battle.
The NATO state in the Baltics is one of the countries that feel particularly threatened by Russia because of their situation. People there fear that one day they could face a similar fate to the people in Ukraine, who have now been confronted with a Russian war of aggression for almost two years. According to the Commander-in-Chief of NATO Forces in Europe, Christopher Cavoli, the exercise is intended to be a clear demonstration of the alliance’s cohesion, strength and determination to protect each other.
Against the backdrop of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, NATO has announced a major exercise with around 90,000 soldiers. It was “the largest NATO exercise in decades,” said Cavoli in Brussels. In an emergency, a Russian attack on alliance territory will be rehearsed. According to Cavoli, the “Steadfast Defender” maneuver begins next week and lasts until May. All 31 alliance countries and candidate country Sweden are taking part in the military exercise.
Eastern flank as the scene
The training space at “Steadfast Defender” extends from Norway to countries such as Romania. According to the Bundeswehr, there will also be a maritime exercise component with the relocation of forces from North America to Europe. In addition to around 90,000 soldiers, more than 1,000 combat vehicles and dozens of combat aircraft and naval units are expected to take part in the exercise. Specifically, the military names tanks, aircraft carriers and F-35 jets, among others.
In addition to Germany, Great Britain is also an important troop contributor for the exercise. The Ministry of Defense in London recently announced that around 20,000 British soldiers from the sea, air and land forces will take part. It’s about the “threat” from Russia under President Vladimir Putin, said British Defense Minister Grant Shapps.
The announcement of “Steadfast Defender” comes just over four weeks before the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24th. “We are preparing for a conflict with Russia and terrorist groups,” said the chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer, after two days of deliberations at NATO headquarters in Brussels. “If they attack us, we have to be ready.”
Regarding the situation in Ukraine, Bauer said that the recent massive attacks by the Russian army were “militarily ineffective.” “While the world may have been overly optimistic in 2023, it is important that we do not become too pessimistic in 2024,” he warned.
Fear of Trump’s election victory
In July, NATO will hold its anniversary summit to mark 75 years of the transatlantic alliance in Washington. However, the celebratory mood is extremely subdued: many in Europe fear that Donald Trump will win the US presidential election in November. He had already sharply criticized the alliance during his first term in office from 2017. In the USA, but also in parts of Europe, there is also criticism of military support for Ukraine.
In June, NATO held the large-scale NATO air force exercise “Air Defender” over German airspace. It was the largest relocation exercise of air forces since NATO was founded almost 75 years ago. 250 aircraft and around 10,000 soldiers from 25 countries took part. The federal government and the Bundeswehr then drew a positive conclusion.