NATO has commenced its most extensive military exercise since the Cold War, as a U.S. warship departs from American shores to cross the Atlantic for deployment in European alliance territory. 

NATO Launches Largest Military Drill Since Cold War Amid Rising Tensions (Photo: Getty)

Show of Unity and Strength

Classified as “Steadfast Defender 24,” the prolonged exercise will engage approximately 90,000 troops, aiming to evaluate NATO’s defensive capabilities in response to Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. The NATO exercise seeks to showcase its capacity to reinforce the Euro-Atlantic region through the trans-Atlantic movement of forces from North America.

General Christopher Cavoli, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, emphasized that Steadfast Defender 2024 is a significant statement of the alliance’s unity, strength, and determination to safeguard shared values and the rules-based international order.

It is designed to simulate NATO’s collective response to an aggressor like Russia. It will involve smaller drills spanning from North America to NATO’s eastern flank, near the Russian border.

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Enhanced Defense Preparedness 

The exercise involves the participation of around 50 naval vessels, 80 aircraft, and over 1,100 combat vehicles. Stretching from North America to NATO’s eastern flank, this military drill, the most substantial since the 1988 Reforger exercise during the Cold War, reflects NATO’s enhanced defense strategy following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The alliance has responded by deploying thousands of troops to its eastern flank and formulating extensive measures to shield itself from potential Russian aggression.

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