NATO massively increases rapid reaction troops

Due to the war in Ukraine, NATO wants to increase the number of its rapid reaction forces from about 40,000 to more than 300,000. As announced by the Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, on the eve of the NATO summit in Madrid, for this purpose the NRF rapid reaction force will be restructured. This force has been on standby for several months due to tensions with Russia.

Jens Stoltenberg

The planned modification is part of a new force model for the entire alliance area. This enables that in an area where more forces need to be deployed on high alert regardless of where they are from. This means e.g. that German soldiers could be assigned to support Lithuanian troops in the event of a Russian attack.

East wing protection top priority

According to Stoltenberg, defending the eastern flank of NATO territory is a top priority for the alliance, which currently has 30 member states. He expects that at the NATO summit in Madrid it will become clear that the allies see Russia as “the most important and direct threat.”

According to Stoltenberg, existing NATO multinational combat groups in member states on the eastern flank will be expanded to brigade level. Currently the rapid reaction group in Lithuania consists of 1600 soldiers. A brigade usually consists of about 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers.

Germany is aiming for a leading role

Germany has stated that it wants to lead the Combat Brigade in Lithuania, which borders the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. The German army Bundeswehr currently has about 1,000 soldiers in the NATO rapid reaction group in Lithuania, who are integrated into the Lithuanian infantry brigade “Iron Wolf”.

Rapid response troops must be ready for operational action within ten days, and others within 30 or 50 days. Details of emergencies will be specified in NATO’s new regional defense plans, which are expected to be ready next year./DW

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