Our new Spearhead Force is up and running, and a 30,000-man Response Force is next.
By Jens Stoltenberg And Philip M. Breedlove
Soldiers in Babimost, Poland, prepare to take part in NATO Noble Jump exercises as part of testing NATO Spearhead. Photo: lech muszynski/European Pressphoto Agency This month more than 15,000 troops from 22 nations are taking part in Allied Shield, a series of exercises designed to test the strength and readiness of NATO and allied armed forces.
In the Baltic Sea, 50 ships and submarines and more than 50 aircraft from 17 countries are taking part in our 43rd Baltic Operations exercise. On land in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, a further 6,000 troops from 10 nations are taking part in Exercise Saber Strike. In Romania, Exercise Trident Joust is testing our ability to command our forces in the field.
We are in Poland this week to meet and see allied forces take part in Exercise Noble Jump, the first deployment of NATO’s new Very High Readiness “Spearhead Force.” This exercise brings together more than 2,000 troops from nine NATO countries, including Czech and Dutch paratroopers, German and Norwegian infantry, Polish and Lithuanian special forces, Belgian artillery, U.S. helicopters and a Hungarian civil-military cooperation unit.
Allied Shield will demonstrate that NATO is able to deploy combat forces anywhere within NATO’s territory within days should a crisis break out or if allies are threatened. It will show the world that this alliance is ready, willing and able to deal with whatever challenges it faces.
These exercises are necessary because the world is changing. After the Cold War, we entered a new era of freedom and democracy based on internationally recognized rules. This era experienced unprecedented levels of international cooperation and brought prosperity to billions of people around the globe. This order is now being challenged.
To our south, Islamic State and other extremist groups are spreading chaos and inspiring terrorist attacks from Paris to Texas. To the east, Russia is imposing its will on its neighbors with scant regard for their sovereignty.
In this new and rapidly evolving environment, NATO must be ready to make and implement decisions quickly. It means countering cyberattacks with cyberdefense, disinformation with information, and strengthening and demonstrating our capabilities through exercises. It means investing today in the things we would need to protect ourselves in the event of a real threat.
We hope that day never comes, but it is our job to always be prepared to defend the people, territory and the values of this alliance.
We have already done a great deal. It is four months since we agreed on the composition of NATO’s new Spearhead Force, and already the troops are up and running. The fact that we have been able to pull together a powerful and flexible force so quickly speaks volumes for the solidarity within the alliance.
Allies will take turns leading the Spearhead Force. Already, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom have all confirmed that they are willing to assume the role of lead nation.
Moreover, the Spearhead Force is exactly that: the tip of the spear. Behind it lies the NATO Response Force, which allies have agreed to more than double in size over the coming months. It will consist of more than 30,000 soldiers, sailors, marines and aircrew, ready to reinforce allies or defend our security interests wherever needed.
We are also creating a network of small headquarters in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. These units will aid the rapid deployment of NATO reinforcement forces in case of a threat, support collective defense planning, and assist in the coordination of multinational training and exercises.
We have entered a period of greater uncertainty, but the countries of the NATO alliance are united in its commitment to collective defense—where an attack on one is an attack on all—and to the protection of liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
By working together, as we are this month in the exercises of Allied Shield, and by investing more in our defense, as the leaders of all member nations have pledged to do, NATO can stand strong against any threat, from wherever it may come.
Mr. Stoltenberg, a former prime minister of Norway, is secretary-general of NATO. Gen. Breedlove, a four-star general in the U.S. Air Force, is the head of U.S. European Command and NATO’s supreme allied commander in Europe.
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