"In 2024, the Alliance will be holding its largest collective defence exercise since the Cold War: Steadfast Defender. "
"Over 40,000 troops from across the Alliance will exercise in Germany, Poland and the three Baltic States," Bauer was quoted as saying by NATO at a joint press conference with the head of the Norwegian armed forces, Eirik Kristoffersen.
The alliance is stepping into a "new era of collective defence," Bauer added.
Steadfast Defender is an annual NATO-led exercise designed to ensure that the alliance's forces are trained, able to operate together, and are ready to respond to any threat from any direction.