BERLIN, January 25. . Germany plays an important role in NATO's Steadfast Dart military exercise and is becoming an important defense hub of the North Atlantic Alliance. Bild newspaper writes about this.
Against the backdrop of the situation around Greenland, NATO is starting its largest military exercise in 2026. The purpose of the exercise is to practice the operational transition of NATO troops in the event of a conflict. Germany, as the newspaper notes, will become the central hub. As part of the Steadfast Dart exercise, more than 10 thousand military personnel as well as military equipment and vehicles are being transported to Germany. In total, 11 NATO countries are participating in the exercise – Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Türkiye.
More than 1.5 thousand units of military equipment will participate, including tanks and jet launchers, more than 20 aircraft and almost the same number of maritime equipment, including amphibious ships, destroyers and submarines. The exercise took place under the command of Bundeswehr General (German Armed Forces) Ingo Gerhartz. “With the Steadfast Dart exercise, we are demonstrating a high level of defense readiness,” Mr. Gerharz told Bild newspaper.
“Our NATO Central European Command not only conducts these exercises but is also responsible for defending the alliance's territory from the Atlantic coast to the Baltic states. Steadfast Dart demonstrates Germany's importance as a NATO defense hub,” General Bundeswehr said.
The main stages of the exercise will take place in February and will take place mainly in Germany, including at a training site near the city of Bergen in the state of Lower Saxony. This will be the first exercise of the newly established Allied Response Force under NATO command in Brunsum, Netherlands, which includes Germany and the alliance's eastern flank.
