NATO has published an ‘operational update’ detailing their activities around Europe in the last few weeks.
In Estonia / Lithuania / Poland: German, Hungarian and Italian fighter aircraft assumed responsibility for air patrols over the Baltic region as part of NATO’s air policing mission on Monday (1 August 2022). NATO Air Policing is a peacetime mission, which aims to preserve the security of Alliance airspace.
“For the coming months, four Hungarian JAS-39 fighter aircraft and some eighty personnel will lead the mission out of Šiauliai air base in Lithuania, while four German Eurofighter aircraft will fly out of Ämari in Estonia. They will be joined by Italian Eurofighters based in Malbork, Poland.”
In Lithuania: The 11th rotation of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroup, in Lithuania, is continuing. The official rotation ceremony will be on the 10th of August. Recently arrived Norwegian soldiers are eager to become an integral part of the Battlegroup and train with NATO Allies.
“NATO has enhanced its presence in the eastern part of the Alliance, with eight multinational battlegroups in Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. These units are multinational, and combat-ready, demonstrating the strength of the transatlantic bond and depth of military capability available to the Alliance. Their presence makes clear that an attack on one Ally will be considered an attack on the whole of NATO.”
In Latvia: eFP Battlegroup, Latvia, conducted Exercise Rampart Forge in order to rapidly integrate sub-units and practice basic Battlegroup drills. These exercises are further improving interoperability and common understanding of procedures and processes.
In Estonia: A Danish Contingent March has taken place every year for the last 50 years.
“This weighted race tests the stamina and determination of Danish soldiers as well as those deployed alongside them on operations. On the 30th of July, over 400 soldiers from eFP Battlegroup, Estonia, took part in this year’s event across a challenging 26km course. A French soldier recorded the fastest time at an incredible 2 hours and 9 minutes.”
Youc an read more on this here.
Keep OFF the lawn, Putin.
👍👍👍!
In Estonia: A Danish Contingent March has taken place every year for the last 50 years
Typo Estonia was a part of the USSR untill 1991.
Is it a march in Estonia or is it a march somewhere in nato in previous years? Never heard of it but well done to the French guy for winning.
‘In Estonia’ To be fair i’ve never heard of it either though.
Personally I think this is a terrible idea. You could argue that the fear and knowledge that the capability is there could stop your adversary from using their own tactical nuclear capability. However, I think it would actually create escalation to nuclear more rapid, especially with a nervous, hair trigger on the Russian side. They already have a doctrine of nuclear de-escalation betting that we wouldn’t nuke them if they keep tactical nukes to an operational area. I certainly don’t want a world with more nuclear weapons. For example, I think if there was knowledge that your carrier carried Nukes… Read more »
NATO has that capability, the RAF does not need to “reinstate” it.
NATO has that capability, why does the RAF need to duplicate it.?.
People have been talking about cracks in NATO since before Trump. If there ever were any, they’re now gone. Putin has single-handedly both enlarged and strengthened NATO to a degree that the old Soviet Commisars could never have envisaged in their worst nightmares.
My view is the Russians will cause an accidental incident at 1 of Ukrains power plants, maybe at Zaporizhzhia which is already in the area they control and has reported to have been hit already (both sides blaming each other) this being Europe’s largest nuclear plant. If there was a release of radio active material from one of these plants I’m sure it would cause panic not just in Ukraine but most of Europe as well. The Russians claiming it was an accident or caused by Ukraine. The Russians then wouldn’t have to use any nuclear weapon and could probably… Read more »
If just one of those reactors suffered a Chernobyl style accident it’s doubtful that it could be contained in the way Chernobyl was. The worst case scenario would see the whole if Ukraine, Belarus, and a large part of Russia east if Moscow uninhabitable for hundreds of years and countless dead in all those countries. Indirectly all grain and wheat export that have just resumed via the Bosporus would permanently end and countless millions in the countries that rely on it would die. While Putin cares nothing for human life, not even Russian lives, like all bully’s he’s a coward.… Read more »
How could anyone think causing a radiation leak in an area you control is a good idea ? You’ve got to deal with it and your own casualties for a start. The other flaw in the plan involving the “rest of Europe” being affected and panicked is that Russia is in Europe. Maybe they have been installing big fans in the occupied territory and just over the border in Russia to blow all that radiation towards the west. If they explode a tactical nuke anywhere near the current fighting then they risk radiation affecting them or Russia. If they try… Read more »
If Russia uses a tactical weapon it’s an embarrassing admission to the world that it’s conventional forces have been defeated by Ukraine’s.
It would also push just about every country that has stayed neutral and not imposed sanctions into the sanctions camp, because the public outrage in their countries would demand it. Even China would distance itself from Russia under those circumstances.
Russia would end up being isolated like no other country before it.
NATO would probably also feel compelled to intervene in the Ukraine to intercept and prevent and further tactical nuclear strikes.
I would have to disagree. Prior to giving up the airbourne leg of our deterrent, the MOD evaluated that it took up approximately 10% of the budget (at the time a much higher percentage of GDP). That’s a sizable wedge of what is an already stretched slice of cash. Even if we get an increase in budget up to 3.5%, I don’t think we can carve out 10% of it purely for air-launched nukes. We’re better keeping the single leg of the deterrent as our subs and focus the spending on conventional weaponry. Maybe develop a tactical warhead for a… Read more »
Although not covered in the article, as I guess there was no significant activity to report in the last few weeks, we have an army deployment (light cav sqn of 140 fro RDG) in Poland under eFP. Together with 900 troops in Estonia, that is quite a commitment for a small army such as ours.