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Defence Secretary Grant Shapps is set to announce that 20,000 personnel from the UK Armed Forces will join the nation’s 31 NATO allies and Sweden to provide “reassurance against the Putin menace”.
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The announcement follows confirmation that the United Kingdom will deliver an additional £2.5 billion in support to Ukraine over the coming year, which is set to include long-range missiles, air defence systems, artillery shells, and drones.
Exercise Steadfast Defender 24 will see the United Kingdom deploy multi-domain capabilities to enhance interoperability among NATO allies, including next-generation fighter jets, submarines, and special forces.
This includes a UK Carrier Strike Group, based on a Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier and its F-35B Lightning joint strike fighters, as well as 400 Royal Marines deployed to the Arctic Circle as part of an allied amphibious task group.
The British Army is also set to deploy 16,000 troops to Eastern Europe, bringing armoured, artillery, and parachute capabilities.
According to Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, the exercise will serve to deter Putin’s Russia amid growing instability in Eastern Europe.
“We are in a new era and we must be prepared to deter our enemies, prepared to lead our allies, and prepared to defend our nation whenever the call comes,” Secretary Shapps said.
“Today, our adversaries are busily rebuilding their barriers. Old enemies are reanimated. Battle lines are being redrawn. The tanks are literally on Ukraine’s lawn. And the foundations of the world order are being shaken to their core. We stand at a crossroads.
“I can announce today that UK will be sending some 20,000 personnel to take part in one of NATO’s largest deployments since the end of the Cold War.
“Exercise Steadfast Defender. It will see our military joining forces with counterparts from 30 NATO countries plus Sweden, providing vital reassurance against the Putin menace.”
The exercise is projected to enhance interoperability between NATO allies.
