NATO’s quick-reaction force recently tested its readiness in Poland, together with other Allied forces, as part of exercise Steadfast Defender 2024.
Synopsis
By road, rail, sea and air – NATO’s quick-reaction force was tasked with making its way to Poland as part of Steadfast Defender 2024, NATO’s biggest exercise in decades.
NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) is currently led by the United Kingdom and includes military personnel from eight other NATO Allies – Albania, Hungary, Latvia, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Spain and Türkiye. Troops from these countries practised rapid deployment as part of exercise Brilliant Jump 2024, making their way to training grounds in Poland in a matter of days. Once there, they took part in the Polish-led exercise Dragon 2024, which tasked the quick-reaction forces with repelling a simulated invasion.
The drills were part of exercise Steadfast Defender 2024. Involving 90,000 forces from all 32 Allies, the exercise is testing NATO’s new regional defence plans with personnel practising rapid deployment and combat in both Norway and Poland. Steadfast Defender 2024 runs from January to May 2024.
Transcript
— TEXT ON SCREEN —
NATO’S QUICK REACTION FORCE
HAS DEPLOYED BY
LAND
AIR
AND SEA
FROM
ALBANIA
POLAND
SPAIN
TÜRKIYE
AND THE UNITED KINGDOM
TO TEST AND TRAIN IN POLAND
--SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – Polish Brigadier General Piotr Fajkowski, 11th Armoured Cavalry Division Commanding General
“Poland is in fact in the front line of NATO. This is the eastern flank of NATO, so we have to be ready to fight first.”
THE FORCE THEN MOVED ACROSS THE COUNTRY
TO EXERCISE FURTHER WITH MORE ALLIES HONING THEIR ABILITY TO WORK TOGETHER