As of: February 15, 2024, 7:10 p.m
By: Stefan Krieger
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The Emden harbor becomes a military theater.
Several cargo ships from the British armed forces are expected as part of a major maneuver.
Emden – The interaction between NATO troops will be trained this year during the large-scale exercise “Steadfast Defender 2024”.
Tens of thousands of soldiers from all 31 NATO member states plus Sweden practice raising the alarm after an alliance has occurred, preparing for deployment, moving large units of troops into operational areas and defending against the aggressor in battle.
As the Bundeswehr reports, NATO wants to show what it is capable of – “and Russia should see what it would expect in the event of an attack on alliance territory.”
As
Norddeutscher Rundfunk
now reports, several British armed forces cargo ships are expected to moor in the port of Emden in the early afternoon (February 14).
According to a NATO spokesman, they have around 600 vehicles on board – a mixed combat brigade in which “everything is included”.
On Thursday, the tanks from Great Britain will be brought to Sennelager near Bielefeld in heavy-duty transporters before reaching the meeting point near Stettin in Poland on Friday.
“Steadfast Defender”: Emden plays a central role in NATO exercises
As the
NDR
further reports, the port of Emden occupies a central position in the upcoming maneuver.
Next Friday (February 16th) the Bavarian mountain troops are planned to be relocated via Emden to Norway, where a military exercise will be carried out from March 5th.
NATO exercise “Steadfast Defender” in Great Britain: Vehicles and equipment are loaded onto the MV Anvil Point at the Sea Mounting Center.
© Ben Birchall
In addition, according to NATO information, hundreds of Bundeswehr combat vehicles are expected.
Tanks and other military vehicles will be seen on Lower Saxony's motorways, such as the A2.
Among the participants are troops from Rotenburg-Wümme and Holzminden who are practicing transporting units via Poland to Lithuania.
“Steadfast Defender” rehearses an emergency for NATO
According to NATO information, a Russian attack on the alliance territory will be rehearsed as an emergency with around 90,000 soldiers.
The major maneuver will therefore last until the end of May.
It consists of several smaller individual exercises and is intended to extend from North America to NATO's eastern flank near the Russian border.
According to NATO information, 50 naval ships, 80 aircraft and over 1,100 combat vehicles will take part in “Steadfast Defender 2024”.
According to the chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Rob Bauer, the military alliance is using the exercise to “prepare for a conflict with Russia and terrorist groups.”
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In view of a possible threat from Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, NATO has deployed thousands of soldiers to its eastern flank and drawn up the most extensive plans since the end of the Soviet Union to protect alliance members from a Russian attack in an emergency.
In June, NATO held the large-scale air force exercise “Air Defender” over German airspace.
It was the largest relocation exercise of air forces since NATO was founded almost 75 years ago.
250 aircraft and around 10,000 soldiers from 25 countries took part.
(skr)