NATO Countries planning to hold biggest military exercise since the Cold War

The NATO Countries are planning to hold the biggest military exercise since the Cold War. It will start in the spring next year. It is expected to involve between 500 and 700 air combat missions, more than 50 ships, and about 41,000 troops. The exercise is designed to model potential manoeuvres against an enemy modelled on a coalition led by Russia, named Occasus for the purposes of the drill. It is to practice repelling a Russian attack against a member of the alliance.

The “Steadfast Defender” exercises is part of NATO’s push to transform from crisis response to a war-fighting alliance. The drills will be carried out on the territory of Germany, Poland, and the Baltic countries. Sweden, whose full accession to NATO is yet to be approved, is expected to join the drills. Bringing the total number of nations involved to 32.