NATO’s largest military exercise of 2026 has begun across Central Europe, with around 10,000 personnel from 11 nations taking part.
The exercise, called Steadfast Dart, was officially launched on Thursday, 15 January 2026, Allied Command Operations (ACO) informed on Monday.
It is the first deployment of the Allied Reaction Force — a NATO force designed to deploy quickly — within the area of responsibility of Joint Force Command Brunssum.
Who is taking part and what is involved
Participating troops include Allied Reaction Force units from Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Spain and Turkey, as well as personnel from Belgium, France and the United Kingdom.
The exercise integrates land, air, space, cyber, maritime and special operations forces, ACO said.
