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Date | 22 January – 31 May 2024 |
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Location | Europe |
Participants | All NATO's members |
Steadfast Defender 2024 or Steadfast Defender 24, abbreviated to STDE24 or SD24, was a 2024 NATO Steadfast Defender exercise that took place from 22 January to 31 May 2024, throughout the Trans-Atlantic region. It practiced the response to a hypothetical aggression by a power or adversary against a member country, activating Article 5 alliance case of the North Atlantic Treaty. The exercise is part of the series of Steadfast Defender maneuvers. It is the largest NATO maneuver since the end of the Cold War.[1][2][3][4]
Troop strength
[edit]The total troop strength for the exercise was over 90,000 soldiers.[5] The United Kingdom provided 20,000 personnel for maneuvers. 16,000 soldiers are from the British Army. Among them will be the 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team. The Royal Navy will provide 2,000 sailors.[6] 15,000 Polish,[7] 10,000 German,[5] and 5,000 Dutch soldiers[8] are participating.
è== Context == Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and US EUCOM commander, has emphasized that Russia has ramped up its military spending in light of its war in Ukraine, which began in 2014 and intensified in February 2022, and that while many European allies have donated equipment and ammunition to Ukraine, the NATO allies have only a short time to increase their own materiel spending,[9] and their own military preparation for future contingencies.[2] See Foreign involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Involved nations
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/Major_NATO_affiliations_in_Europe.svg/350px-Major_NATO_affiliations_in_Europe.svg.png)
All 32 NATO member nations took part in the exercise:[10]
Equipment
[edit]The following military equipment is taking part in the maneuver:[11]
- Over 50 ships
- Over 80 fighter jets, helicopters and drones
- Approximately 1,100 combat vehicles
Quadriga 2024
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Karte_Quadriga_2024.svg/300px-Karte_Quadriga_2024.svg.png)
In connection with Steadfast Defender 2024, the Bundeswehr will carry out its Quadriga 2024 exercise. Quadriga 2024 is again divided into four maneuvers, which are intended to practice alerting, relocating troops and combat. The four sub-maneuvers are Grand Center in mid- to late February, Grand North in mid-February to mid-March, Grand South in late April to late May and Grand Quadriga in May 2024.[12][13]
More than 12,000 Bundeswehr soldiers are taking part in the exercise, especially those from the 10th Panzer Division. According to the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, Carsten Breuer, Quadriga 2024 is "the Bundeswehr's first exercise in which the defense of NATO's eastern flank is combined with Germany's role as a linchpin for the defense of Europe".[14][15]
Dragon-24
[edit]As part of the Steadfast Defender 2024, national maneuvers "Dragon-24" will be held by Poland from February 25 to March 14, 2024. This exercise will primarily consist of soldiers from the 11th Armoured Cavalry Division and the 16th Pomeranian Mechanised Division. It will include troops from the Territorial Defence Force, Special Troops Command, Air Force, Navy as well as the NATO Response Force, and will primarily take place at Land Forces Training Center Drawsko.[16][17]
Over 3,500 vehicles will be used, including 100 tracked vehicles and tanks from the United States, Spain, and France. Troops during the exercise will conduct multiple tasks, including river crossings with heavy equipment as well as movement of tracked and wheeled vehicles over 300 miles of public roads and off-road terrain.[16][18]
More maneuvers
[edit]The maneuver Nordic Response 24 will use Steadfast Defender in 2024 as a roof maneuver[clarification needed], but will not be part of it.[19][20] The maneuvers "Saber Strike 24", "Immediate Response 24" and "Swift Response 24" are carried out in the course of Steadfast Defender[16]
References
[edit]- ^ "NATO to hold biggest drills since Cold War with 90,000 troops". reuters.com. 2024-01-19. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
- ^ a b John Vandiver (2024-01-18). "NATO to stage largest military exercise in Europe since Cold War | Stars and Stripes". stripes.com. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
- ^ T.Wiegold (2024-01-18). "Überraschung, NATO-Großübung!". Augengeradeaus.de. T.Wiegold. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
- ^ "Nato plant militärisches Großmanöver mit 90.000 Soldaten". Zeit Online (Lange hielt sich die Nato mit Manövern an der Ostflanke zurück. Nun soll eine Übung mit Zehntausenden Soldaten stattfinden. Eines ihrer Ziele: Russland abzuschrecken.). Zeit Online GmbH. 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
- ^ a b "90.000 Soldaten: NATO kündigt größtes Manöver seit Jahrzehnten an |". tagesschau.de. 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ Peter Felstead (2024-01-15). "Shapps announces major UK contribution to NATO's Exercise 'Steadfast Defender 24'". European Security and Defence. Mittler Report Verlag GmbH. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
- ^ Andrew Matthews (2024-01-15). "Steadfast Defender 2024: NATO gears up for major military exercise to confront Russian aggression". essanews.com. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ "Ruim 5000 Nederlandse militairen bij grootste NAVO-oefening sinds Koude Oorlog". RTL Nieuws (in Dutch). 2024-01-22. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ^ David Brennan (21 Jan 2024) NATO Misses Pivotal Military Target
- ^ Olena Goncharova (2024-01-20). "ISW: Russia conducting information operation to distort NATO's 'Steadfast Defender 2024' exercises". kyivindependent.com. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ "NATO's Biggest Military Exercise: Steadfast defender 2024 drills". YouTube. 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
- ^ "Heer und NATO-Partner starten 2024 ein Großmanöver". 2023-11-30. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
- ^ "Generalinspekteur betont vor Großübung Verantwortung der Bundeswehr". tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ "Heer und NATO-Partner starten 2024 ein Großmanöver". 2023-11-30. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
- ^ "Generalinspekteur betont vor Großübung Verantwortung der Bundeswehr". tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ a b c Magdalena Kowalska-Sendek (2023-10-19). ""Steadfast Defender 2024", czyli największe manewry NATO" (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ Tomasz Glen (2024-01-19). "Steadfast Defender 2024. 90,000 NATO soldiers start exercises. The biggest since the Cold War". Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ Tomasz Glen (2024-01-19). "Steadfast Defender 2024. 90,000 NATO soldiers start exercises. The biggest since the Cold War". Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ "NATO exercise planned for next year billed as largest since end of Cold War". 2023-09-18. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ "Nordic Response 2024". 2024-01-19. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
External links
[edit]- Video: NATO's Biggest Military Exercise: Steadfast defender 2024 drills, WION
- German Bundeswehr, Quadriga 2024, official Flyer as PDF (saved by archive.org).