Steadfast Dart: Nato's largest and 'most visible' exercise of the year gets underway

Nato's largest exercise of the year has officially begun in central Europe, bringing together 10,000 troops from 11 allied nations.

Steadfast Dart 2026 marks the second major deployment designed to test the capabilities of the UK-led Allied Reaction Force (ARF), a multinational force held at high readiness that can be deployed at short notice anywhere in the world.

The exercise will feature conflict scenarios involving a near-peer adversary, showcasing the alliance's ability to operate across land, air, maritime, cyber and space domains.

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These capabilities will be tested across multiple locations in central Europe, particularly in Germany.

Unmanned systems, sensors, and surveillance systems will provide real-time vigilance on land, at sea and in the air, as vehicles, fire support and force protection capabilities support troops on the ground. 

Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) General Alexus G Grynkewich said: "Last year, Steadfast Dart incorporated the first deployment of Nato's new Allied Reaction Force, demonstrating Allied Command Operations' ability to respond at a moment's notice to an emergent threat to our alliance."

He added that Steadfast Dart 2026 will build on the success of the previous iteration and will "arguably be one of Nato's most visible exercises this year".

A multinational force 

The exercise is divided into two main phases: deployment and training. The deployment phase took place earlier this month, with the training phase set to begin next month.

Joint Force Command Brunssum – one of three Nato operational-level commands – has planned the exercise in close coordination with Supreme Headquarters Powers Europe, which oversees the alliance's military operations. 

Commander of JFC Brunssum, General Ingo Gerhartz, said: "With Exercise Steadfast Dart, we are demonstrating that Nato's Allied Reaction Force toolbox contains every capability needed to react to any threat."

The exercise officially launched on 15 January, and includes ARF units from Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Spain, and Turkey, as well as Belgium, France and the United Kingdom.