NATO general says Alliance planning large-scale maneuvers near Russian border
NATO may carry out large-scale maneuvers in Eastern Europe and the Baltics and is working on creating a new rapid response force, the commander of the Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum said Friday, according to RIA Novosti.
"We have so far carried out large-scale maneuvers of 25,000-40,000 forces only in Western NATO countries. I can well imagine that we can carry out [maneuvers] also in Eastern Europe and the Baltic States in the future," Gen. Hans-Lothar Domrose was quoted as saying by Die Welt.
The German general also noted that NATO is currently working on creating a "rapid response force of 5,000 to 7,000 troops, which would be ready to reach the operational area in two to five days."
"These highly mobile troops, however, must have a huge air fleet so they can be on site quickly," Domrose said, noting that provision of transport is one of the "greatest challenges NATO countries are facing today."