Thousands of British soldiers deploy to Romania and Bulgaria for military exercise

NATO’s Exercise Steadfast Dart 25 is set to bring thousands of soldiers to the alliance’s eastern flank countries like Romania and Bulgaria, with the UK contributing a sizable force to the military show of strength.

The exercise, taking place throughout January and February 2025 and reuniting forces from 10 NATO countries, is meant to practice the deployment of the new Allied Reaction Force, which can rapidly reinforce NATO’s eastern flank. The UK is providing the largest contribution of forces with over 2,600 personnel, and 730 vehicles. The UK’s 1st Division will also be in command of all of NATO’s land forces in the exercise.

“Exercise Steadfast Dart demonstrates our unshakeable commitment to NATO and highlights the UK key leadership role in the Alliance. As we approach the three-year anniversary of Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we must continue to strengthen our collective defences together to deter Putin effectively,” said the British minister for the armed forces, Luke Pollard, cited in the press release.

“The new Allied Reaction Force will not only support the Alliance’s defense in times of crisis but strengthen deterrence against our adversaries – including Russia. It will ensure that forces from across the NATO alliance can come together at shorter notice than has ever been possible before,” he added.

Among the 730 vehicles deployed, the UK will bring specialized equipment, including Foxhound and Jackal vehicles, to demonstrate its advanced military capabilities. The exercise is also about demonstrating NATO’s continued commitment to collective defense.

“STDT25 is a joint deployment exercise scheduled by SHAPE and conducted by JFCNP in order to test and train the operational deployment and reinforcement of 2024 Allied Reaction Force (ARF) Elements to NATO Vigilance Area South-East under peacetime conditions. STDT25 will focus on the planning and execution of a pre-crisis Multi-domain activity aimed to reinforce the allied forces located in Romania and Bulgaria. The exercise will flow directly into DACIA 2025 Romanian Employment exercise,” the NATO exercises and activities calendar notes.

(Photo source: Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum on Facebook)