NATO’s biggest military exercises since the Cold War began on Thursday with the departure of a US warship from the United States to Europe.
The Western military alliance said about 90,000 troops are participating in the “Steadfast Defender 24” exercises, which are designed to test NATO’s defenses in the face of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
“The Alliance will showcase its ability to reinforce the European and Atlantic area by moving forces from North America across the Atlantic,” said NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, General Christopher Cavoli.
He said the “Steadfast Defender 2024 exercises will be a clear demonstration of our unity, strength, and resolve to protect each other, our values, and the rules-based international order.”
The exercises are designed to simulate a response by the 31-member alliance to an attack by an adversary like Russia.
They will involve a series of smaller, individual exercises from North America to NATO’s eastern flank near the Russian border.
About 50 ships, 80 aircraft, and more than 1,100 combat vehicles will participate in the training.
The exercises, which are the largest since the “Reforger” exercise during the Cold War in 1988, come as NATO has beefed up its defenses since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The alliance has sent thousands of troops to its eastern flank and has drawn up its most comprehensive plans since the collapse of the Soviet Union in an effort to protect itself from any Russian attack.
