NATO launches largest military exercise in decades

On Wednesday, January 25, NATO began the largest military exercise since the Cold War, and an American warship left the United States to cross the Atlantic Ocean and head to the alliance's territory in Europe, BGNES reported.
About 90,000 military personnel will take part in Steadfast Defender 2024. The large-scale exercise aims to test NATO's defense capabilities at a time when Russia's war in Ukraine continues.
"The alliance will demonstrate its ability to strengthen the Euro-Atlantic community by deploying forces from North America," said General Christopher Cavoli, NATO's supreme commander in Europe.
He added that Steadfast Defender 2024 will be "a clear demonstration of our unity, strength and determination to defend each other, our values and the rules-based international order".
The exercise is intended as a simulation of the 31-nation alliance's response to an attack by a rival state, such as Russia.
The exercise will consist of a series of smaller maneuvers that will stretch from North America to NATO's eastern flank near the border with Russia.
About 50 warships, 80 aircraft and over 1,100 ground combat vehicles are expected to take part in them.
It is the largest exercise since 1988, when the Reforger exercise was held during the Cold War.
The alliance has fortified its eastern flank with thousands of troops and has drawn up the most extensive plans since the collapse of the Soviet Union to defend against a Russian attack. /BGNES