This phase involves Polish troops and their NATO allies executing a rapid crossing of the Vistula River, marking a key component of the extensive multinational exercises aimed at enhancing the alliance's readiness and interoperability.
Poland's President Andrzej Duda and his Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nauseda will oversee the exercise in Poland's north, together with Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
The operation, part of the larger Steadfast Defender-24 exercise and its national component, Dragon 24, represents the largest maneuvers undertaken by NATO in recent years, involving a significant number of troops and equipment from across the Western military alliance.
During the exercise, forces from Poland, Lithuania, Turkey, Britain, the United States, Spain, Germany and France are expected to demonstrate their capability to swiftly maneuver across the river using special ferry crossings near the town of Kwidzyn, with "air cover provided by allied air forces."
Over 20,000 troops, including 5,000 from allied countries, are set to take part.
According to Polish military officials in charge of the exercise, the timing of the exercise in March was deliberately chosen to test the troops under challenging conditions, aiming to push the engineering and sapper units to their limits and ensure that NATO forces can operate effectively in any scenario.
The Steadfast Defender-24 exercises, which began on January 22 and will continue until May, span across multiple NATO countries and involve a total of 90,000 personnel, 50 warships, 80 aircraft, and over 1,000 combat vehicles, including participation from Sweden.
(jh/gs)
Source: PAP, IAR, Polskie Radio 24
