Nato to hold biggest war games since Cold War with 90,000 troops

The exercises come as Russia’s war on Ukraine bogs down. Nato as an organisation is not directly involved in the conflict, except to supply Kyiv with non-lethal support, although many member countries send weapons and ammunition individually or in groups, and provide military training.

Cavoli said the drills would rehearse Nato’s execution of its regional plans, the first defence plans the alliance has drawn up in decades, detailing how it would respond to a Russian attack.

Nato did not mention Russia by name in its announcement. But its top strategic document identifies Russia as the most significant and direct threat to Nato members’ security.

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“Steadfast Defender 2024 will demonstrate Nato’s ability to rapidly deploy forces from North America and other parts of the alliance to reinforce the defence of Europe,” Nato said.

The reinforcement will occur during a “simulated emerging conflict scenario with a near-peer adversary”, Cavoli told reporters in Brussels after a two-day meeting of national chiefs of defence.

The last exercises of a similar size were Reforger – during the Cold War in 1988 with 125,000 participants – and Trident Juncture in 2018 with 50,000 participants, according to Nato.

The troops taking part in the exercises, which will involve simulations of getting personnel to Europe as well exercises on the ground, will come from Nato countries and Sweden, which hopes to join the alliance soon.

The chair of the Nato Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, said that it’s “a record number of troops that we can bring to bear and have an exercise within that size, across the alliance, across the ocean from the US to Europe”.

UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has said that the government in London would send 20,000 troops backed by advanced fighter jets, surveillance planes, warships and submarines, with many being deployed in eastern Europe from February to June.

Allies signed off on the regional plans at their 2023 Vilnius summit, ending a long era in which Nato had seen no need for large-scale defence plans as Western countries fought smaller wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and felt certain post-Soviet Russia no longer posed an existential threat.

During the second part of the Steadfast Defender exercise, a special focus will be on the deployment of Nato’s quick reaction force to Poland on the alliance’s eastern flank.

Other major locations of the drills will be the Baltic states which are seen as most at risk from a potential Russian attack, Germany – a hub for incoming reinforcements – and countries on the fringes of the alliance such as Norway and Romania.

Meanwhile, countries supporting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s bid to lead Nato have been working behind the scenes to make sure the race is wrapped up by this summer, according to people familiar with the matter.

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The decision needs to be unanimous among the 31 Nato allies and the Dutch leader is already the strong favourite to succeed current Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg when his term ends in October. Nevertheless, some countries in eastern Europe have still to give Rutte their backing, the people said.

Rutte made an appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week when he urged European countries to spend more on defence, a common refrain from former US president Donald Trump who is a strong contender to reclaim the White House in November.

Rutte also backed US and UK attacks against the Houthis earlier this month.

Rutte is wrapping up 13 years as the Netherlands’ longest-serving premier after the Dutch government collapsed in July amid infighting over migration policy.

He’ll step down as soon as a new coalition government can be agreed, with the far-right politician Geert Wilders positioned to take over.

Reuters, Associated Press and Bloomberg