Stoltenberg: Reinforced intervention forces ready in 2023
Created: 06/29/2022, 09:57
Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, attends a press conference in Madrid.
© Olivier Matthys/AP/dpa
The NATO Secretary General is speeding up plans for a stronger rapid reaction force.
Germany also has concrete plans to strengthen the eastern flank.
Madrid - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wants to have a rapid reaction force, increased to 300,000 soldiers, operational in the coming year.
"They will be stationed in their own countries, but already assigned to certain states and territories and will be responsible for the defense of these areas," Stoltenberg said at the NATO summit in Madrid on Wednesday.
Of course, details depended on the individual states that should provide these forces.
Stoltenberg referred to Germany and concrete plans to provide a combat brigade to defend NATO partner Lithuania.
This is an example of strengthening the eastern flank.
“You will practice there.
You will learn to operate alongside domestic forces.
And they will have ready equipment there, heavy equipment, fuel supplies and many other things needed for operations in that particular area.”
Germany already leads the NATO Battle Group (eFP) in NATO, for which 600 soldiers were initially provided.
After the Russian attack on Ukraine, artillery and anti-aircraft reinforcements were activated, so that there are currently more than 1,000 German soldiers in Lithuania.
There is still no absolute number for the planned combat brigade.
Such brigades are usually 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers strong.
Germany could participate in NATO's reinforced intervention forces with 15,000 soldiers.
dpa