Britain will commit 20,000 military personnel to serve across Europe in a major NATO exercise in the first half of this year, as well as warships and fighter jets, the defence ministry said today. NATO’s Exercise Steadfast Defender 24 marks the Western alliance’s 75th year. The deployment includes 16,000 British army troops who will be based in Eastern Europe from February to June, an aircraft carrier strike group, and F35B Lightning attack jets and surveillance planes.
The NATO alliance has boosted the number of combat-ready troops after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago and has continued to support Kyiv with military, economic, and humanitarian aid.