About 20,000 British troops to take part in drills aimed at deterring Russia
More than 20 thousand British troops will take part in NATO-led Steadfast Defender 24 exercises in H1 2024 with an aim of deterring Russia, TASS reports
According to the British Ministry of Defence, the exercises will be one of the largest since the end of the Cold War, “Our forces will join more than 30 NATO allies and Sweden, acting as a counterweight to the [Russian] threat.”
Sixteen thousand troops of the British Army's ground units will be deployed in Eastern Europe from February to June as part of the exercises. In addition, a strike group consisting of the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth, frigates and destroyers will be involved in the North Atlantic, the Norwegian Sea and the Baltic Sea. The total number of sailors will exceed 2,000. The British Air Force will also take part in the exercises, including fifth-generation F35B Lightning attack aircraft and Poseidon P8 surveillance aircraft.
