North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is conducting War Games ‘Steadfast Defender 21’ from May-June 2021. Majority of the exercise will take place in Germany, Portugal and Romania.
- Objective – to improve the ability of the Allied forces to move quickly across the Atlantic and Europe to protect each other, if need arises.
- Around 9,000 troops from more than 20 NATO Allies and partners will take part in the exercise.
- The Forces will be deployed across land and sea from North America to the Black Sea region and off the coast of Portugal. It includes NATO troops, warships, and several Fighter Aircrafts like the F-35.
- Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg will chair a 2021 NATO summit in Brussels on June 14, 2021.
Background
- The tensions between Russia & NATO member countries are increasing.
- In April 2020, Russia sent thousands of its troops to the Russia-Ukraine Border, which caused concern to the NATO members. Russian troops had annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
Key Points
i.The exercise will test NATO’s ability to deploy troops from America and keep supply lines open.
- The exercise will be the 1st large-scale test of NATO’s Command Structure. NATO’s 2 new commands will take part in the exercise, they are – Joint Support and Enabling Command based in Ulm, Germany & Joint Force Command Norfolk based in USA.
ii.HMS Queen Elizabeth of Britain’s Royal Navy will make its maiden voyage carrying 18 F-35 jets, it will be the 1st ever deployment of so many 5th Generation places aboard an aircraft carrier.
iii.The exercises also aim to protect undersea cables that carry masses of commercial and communications data between the USA and Europe.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
i.It is an Intergovernmental Military Alliance between 30 European and North American countries.
- It is based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April, 1949.
- The member countries agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by an external party.
Recent Related News:
May 3, 2021, NATO launched the Joint Multinational Military Exercise ‘DEFENDER-Europe 21’ in the port of Durres in Albania, the exercise began on April 26, 2021 and will go on till June 10, 2021.
About North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Secretary General – Jens Stoltenberg
Headquarters – Brussels, Belgium
