MAGAZINE
SPRING 2021
The catalyst The creation of the enhanced Forward Presence Battle Groups is related to larger changes in the European security environment . Despite the fact that the Soviet Union and its successor , the Russian Federation , have each expressed their wish for a NATO membership at one time ( 1954 and 1991 ) 1 , the last decade in NATO-Russia relations has been tense . In 2014 , internal tensions in Ukraine resulted in covert operations by the Russian Federation and the subsequent annexation of Ukrainian territories . The Allied reaction was resolute . At the Wales Summit that year , the Allies adopted the Readiness Action Plan , significantly reinforcing NATO ’ s collective defence . This was when the NATO Response Force ( NRF ) was enhanced by establishing the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force ( VJTF ), also referred to as the “ spearhead ”. The VJTF is a force ready for full-spectrum operations within a 10,000 kilometre radius from Brussels . In other words , NRF does not have a specifically designated deployment area .
The creation At the next NATO Summit in Warsaw in July 2016 , NATO took another historical step forward . The NATO Assurance Measures
included the increase of fighter jets on air policing missions as well as bolstering NATO AWACS missions across the eastern flank , multinational maritime forces patrolling the Baltic Sea , and training and exercise efforts2 . The enhanced Forward Presence ( eFP ) was announced in the form of four battalion-sized Battle Groups ( with a total of approx . 4,500 troops ) to be deployed on a rotational basis in Estonia , Latvia , Lithuania and Poland , with the United Kingdom , Canada , Germany and the United States being the respective Battle Groups ’ lead nations . As of February 2021 , a total of 25 NATO members are involved ( including the Baltic states and Poland ). This has been and remains a unique display of NATO solidarity .
The eFP advantage Compared to the NRF , the enhanced Forward Presence brings new value to the table . While the NRF is a highly mobile force under SACEUR ' s command exercising at their home bases , the Battle Groups are already deployed in their area of operations3 , where they conduct their training activities in close cooperation with the respective national defence forces and societies as a whole . This is a huge benefit , especially when it comes to defence planning . First-hand knowledge of local terrain , procedures and
IRON STORM
1 - https :// www . wilsoncenter . org / publication / molotovs-proposal-the-ussr-join-natomarch-1954
https :// www . nytimes . com / 1991 / 12 / 21 / world / soviet-disarray-yeltsin-says-russia-seeks-to-joinnato . html
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2 - https :// www . nato . int / cps / en / natohq / topics _ 119353 . htm 3 - https :// www . nato . int / cps / en / natolive / topics _ 49755 . htm