:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/T2VBZ235LGVJWRMEQXPQGVYE74.jpg "NATO began its largest military maneuvers in decades: 90,000 soldiers, 50 ships and 80 planes participate")
NATO kicks off massive military exercise with USS Gunston Hall departure
NATO announced the formal start of its largest military maneuvers in decades, dubbed “Steadfast Defender 24,” with the departure of the US military ship “USS Gunston Hall” from Norfolk, Virginia. The ship’s departure marks the first tactical movement of the maneuvers, which will run until May and involve some 90,000 soldiers from the transatlantic defense alliance.
The exercises are designed to simulate the 31-nation alliance’s response to an attack from a rival such as Russia. The maneuvers will include localized parallel exercises and will stretch from North America to NATO’s eastern flank near the Russian border, involving 50 warships, 80 aircraft, and more than 1,100 combat vehicles.
These are the largest NATO maneuvers since the Reforger exercise in 1988 and take place in a context of rising international tensions since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. American General Christopher Cavoli, head of NATO’s European Command, indicated that the 31 countries of the Alliance will participate, as well as Sweden, which aspires to join it.
NATO Military Committee Chairman Admiral Rob Bauer said this is “a record number of troops that we can mobilize and conduct an exercise of that size, across the alliance, across the ocean, from the United States to Europe.” He also emphasized the need for a “whole-of-society approach” to the challenge, beyond just military planning.
The deployment of the USS Gunston Hall and the participation of various NATO member countries, including the UK and Bulgaria, demonstrate the unity and determination of the alliance to protect its members in the face of potential threats.
The departure of the USS Gunston Hall is an important step in the large-scale military exercises being conducted by NATO, demonstrating the alliance’s readiness and commitment to protecting its members in the face of potential threats.