NATO activates Rapid Response Forces for the first time in history

NATO leaders have decided to deploy Rapid Response Forces to increase collective defense in the midst of Russian military invasion of Ukraine.

Following the urgent summit of allied leaders, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced the deployment by land, sea and air of these units, which deployed “in a matter of days” at different points on the eastern flank of the Atlantic Alliance.

“NATO has activated the defense plans and as a result, we are going to deploy elements of NATO Response Forces to strengthen our posture and respond quickly to any contingency,” he assured in the face of the attack ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Although he has not specified the number of forces he will mobilize, the former Norwegian prime minister has spoken of deploying thousands of Rapid Response Force units.

This step comes at the height of Russia’s attack on Ukraine and is a sign of NATO’s collective defense will to prevent the conflict in Ukraine from being transferred to an allied country.

Rapid Response Forces It is made up of up to 40,000 troops with the capacity to deploy in any scenario within a period of five days and for a maximum of 30. Just a month ago, the United States announced that it was putting 8,500 troops on alert to support a possible activation of NATO’s rapid action forces in the face of Russian aggression.

Included in this structure is the international brigades of the Very High Readiness Joint Forcebattalions of thousands of troops that, supported by air, naval and special operations forces, can be deployed urgently to deal with military crises.

During 2022, France leads the high readiness forces and 3,500 troops from a Franco-German brigade will function as the main core of these forces this year.

These units activate in defense of allies and as a deterrent to prevent an escalation of the crisis as a sign of the military commitment of NATO allies to the defense of all members of the organization.