"Nordic Response 2024"

20,000 soldiers from 13 nations take part in NATO maneuvers

Swedish soldiers during the NATO maneuver.(Bild: AP)

The largest NATO maneuver in the past 40 years is currently taking place in Norway, in which all alliance partners are participating with 20,000 armed forces. Among them are soldiers from new member Finland and candidate member Sweden.

Since midnight, soldiers from several NATO countries have been training in a major exercise in northern Europe to defend against an attack on Alliance territory.

According to the Norwegian military, around 20,000 soldiers from 13 allied nations are taking part in the "Nordic Response 2024" maneuver. It is being led by Polish military personnel.

100 aircraft, frigates, submarines
The NATO countries are deploying a wide range of weapons systems, including 100 aircraft and naval forces with frigates and submarines.

Troops from France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the USA crossed the Vistula near Korzeniewo (Poland) this week (March 4 - 5, 2024), NATO writes about the start of the maneuver.

Swedish soldiers as part of the NATO maneuver.(Bild: AP)

(Bild: Heiko Junge / NTB)

The river crossing was "part of Exercise Dragon 24, a multinational exercise at operational and tactical level under Polish command and a key element of Steadfast Defender 24, the largest NATO military exercise in decades".

Presidents watch soldiers at
Polish President Andrzej Duda and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda also took part in the river crossing. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) also traveled to Alta for the start of the active part of the maneuver.

Finland and Sweden also taking part
Finland and Sweden, which decided to join the alliance after the attack on Ukraine, are also taking part in the maneuver. Sweden is to officially become the 32nd member of NATO on Thursday.

The defense alliance expects that the admission procedure for the Scandinavian country can be completed during a visit by a Swedish delegation to Washington.