The United States is demonstrating its willingness to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank. It is expanding NATO’s reinforced battlegroup in Poland from a battalion to a brigade-level element.
With this push, the United States is confirming NATO’s new force model. This envisions strengthening the Alliance’s unified response. It also follows the decisions of the NATO summit in Madrid. This is because at the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid, all allies committed to deploying additional robust, combat-ready forces on NATO’s eastern flank. The aim of this measure is to increase the existing battle groups to the size of a brigade if necessary. To bolster the credibility of the effort, NATO is deploying reinforcements and equipment to the region. In addition, an improved command and control system is being established.
The signing of the transfer of authority protocol took place during the Griffin Shock exercise at the Bemowo Piskie training area. The commander of the Multinational Corps Northeast, Lieutenant General Jürgen-Joachim von Sandrart, and the commander of the Multinational Division Northeast, Major General Zenon Brzuszko of the Polish Army, accepted it.
More than 3,000 servicemen and women from five NATO countries took part in said exercise: Croatia, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Major General Brzuszko stressed the importance of exercises like Griffin Shock. “Exercises like Griffin Shock provide the opportunity to conduct high-quality and realistic live training, test and validate current and future interoperability and capabilities, and refine tactics, techniques and procedures.” Exercises such as these can demonstrate commitment to the joint contribution to regional stability and security, the major general continued.
Jonas Brandstetter, editorial staff