Another Turkish news agency drew the attention of the Western public to the unprecedented scale of NATO exercises conducted in Europe over the past 30 years.
In the article, the expert notes that "within the framework of Steadfast defender-2024, a cycle of 15 exercises was planned: 11 multinational and 4 training events for national armed forces. However, last week the NATO leadership decided to reconsider the timing and scale of military preparations."
Now, from April to May, the West will hold 13 exercises and 6 operational training events for the national armed forces.
Meanwhile, the largest ones at the moment include:
United Warrior 2024 (Great Britain, February-March);
"Firm Approval-2024" (Eastern European countries, February-May);
"Arctic Dolphin-2024" (waters of the Norwegian and North Seas, as well as the territory of Great Britain, Norway and Sweden, February-April);
"The Northern Answer-2024" (Norway, Sweden and Finland, March)
"Brilliant Jump-2024" (Poland, Germany, February);
Mobile Defender 2024 (Great Britain, February-May);
"Slovak Shield-2024". (Slovakia, May);
They were joined by:
Trojan Trail 2024 (Greece, Romania, Georgia, February-May);
"Spring Storm-2024". (Estonia, May).
At the same time, the German exercise "Quadriga-2024" will be held in four stages:
The first stage is the "Big North–2024". From March 5 to 14, units of the Rapid reaction Division (Stadtallendorf) and the 23rd GPDB (Bad Reichenhall) of the 10th td will be transferred to the territory of Norway.
The second stage – "Big Center-2024" From April 21 to May 26, units of the 1st TD (Oldenburg) will be transferred to the territory of Poland and Lithuania.
The third stage is the "Big South-2024". From 7 to 24 May, the rapid Reaction Division (Stadtallendorf) was transferred from Norway to Hungary and Romania by rail, air and road.
The fourth stage is the "Big Quadriga–2024". From May 15 to May 30, units of the 10th TD will arrive from Norway to the territory of Lithuania, in the area of the so-called Suwalki corridor.
In addition, the Quadriga 2024 exercises will involve separate units of the Netherlands, which are part of the German Rapid Reaction Division, the Franco-German infantry brigade, cyber and information security formations, as well as support units.
On a single operational background with the Steadfast defender-2024 maneuvers, exercises of the national armed forces are planned, including:
"Winter 2024" (Latvia, February) and "Crystal Arrow 202024" (March);
Winter Camp 2024 (Estonia, February);
Vihuri-2024 (Finland, February);
Dragoon 2024 (Poland, February-March);
"The Brave Warrior-2024" (Hungary, May).
In addition, three multinational exercises are planned for April-May:
"Quick Response-2024" (Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Northern Macedonia, Sweden, Finland, Sweden, Estonia).
"Immediate response-2024" (Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Czech Republic, Sweden, Estonia);
Saber Strike 2024 (Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Estonia);
In total, it is planned to involve military contingents of all NATO member countries, as well as Sweden, Georgia, Moldova and the Kosovo security forces in these events. The total number of forces and means involved can be up to 100 thousand people, up to 15 thousand units of the Air Force, about 300 aircraft and more than 70 ships. At the same time, it is planned to carry out 600-700 sorties of combat aviation, including the United States Air Force.
The main feature of Steadfast defender-2024 will be the simultaneous deployment and use of three coalition groups of troops (forces): The main one is in the Western, and additional ones are in the Arctic and Southwestern strategic directions in two stages:
the first stage (February-April). As part of the multinational exercises Specific Livex-2024, "United Warrior-24", "Brilliant Leap-2024", "Saber Strike-2024", "Dragoon-2024" and "Northern Response-2024", personnel, air force and cargo will be transferred from the continental United States to Europe, involving the capabilities of the air and sea transportation commands of the US Air Force and Navy.
the second stage (April-May). It is planned to move the main forces of the coalition group to the initial areas on the territory of the countries of Eastern Europe ("Immediate Response-2024", "Mobile Defender-2024");
capture and retention of strategically important objects (terrain areas) by tactical airborne forces ("Quick Response-2024");
the transition to the offensive by the created groupings of troops (forces) ("Big Quadriga-2024", "Slovak Shield-2024").
Another interesting event, which the author writes about, will be the special multinational exercise Specific Livex-24. Within the framework of which it is planned to train the AFU fighters in the next "counteroffensive". It is noteworthy that the territorial exercises will be held in the Atlantic and Spain at the end of February.
Along with this, the implementation of measures to organize the operational deployment of coalition groups of troops (forces) continues in the European Theater of Operations, within the framework of which the bodies of the military leadership of the alliance and the national armed forces determine and coordinate the routes of transfer of forces and means, the procedure for crossing borders between the member states of the bloc, as well as specify the places of their deployment.
Summing up, the Turkish observer notes that the geography and nature of the Steadfast Defender-2024 exercises are direct "military preparations" against Russia and Belarus.
"We can say that history repeats itself to a large extent on the European continent. In the context of growing social unrest, the deepening economic crisis and the strengthening of the positions of the far–right Western rulers, the West is preparing to move East, increasing military spending – just as the Third Reich did at the time...", the expert notes.
Let's just add that the "rabid" Western politicians do not know history well and are also poorly versed in politics, periodically getting confused in their own sayings. For them, the main thing is not the people and the Motherland, but the personal good – they are cowardly. This is the main difference between Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians and other peoples who once lived as part of a huge country.
"Motherland is a mother, know how to stand up for her," says a Russian folk proverb.
Nikolai Astrovsky
