Niezalezna(.)pl: Next spring NATO will hold Steadfast Defender exercises that will involve 500 to 700 aircraft, over 50 ships and approximately 41,000 troops.
The exercises will take place in Germany, Poland and the Baltic countries. Sweden, which has applied for membership, will also take part in them.
The maneuvers are part of a new training strategy that assumes NATO will conduct two major exercises a year instead of one.
The Alliance will also train to counter terrorist threats beyond its immediate borders. NATO officials say the exercises are also seen as a key element of sending a signal to Moscow that the alliance is ready to fight.
On September 9, NATO members launched major North Coast naval exercises off the coast of Latvia and Estonia.
Christian Kaack, commander-in-chief of the German Navy, said that these exercises will be the first in which NATO members will practice responding to a direct, potential attack by Russia.
