Grant Shapps
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps revealed on Monday that Britain will send 20,000 armed forces troops to one of NATO’s largest exercises since the Cold War, warning of growing challenges to the Western-led alliance.
The deployment, described by Shapps as the UK’s biggest to NATO in four decades, is intended to provide vital reassurance over the menace presented by Russian President Vladimir Putin following his invasion of Ukraine.
The British forces will deploy across Europe and beyond for the military alliance’s newest ‘Exercise Steadfast Defender’, alongside personnel from 31 other member countries plus Sweden, which is a candidate to join the transatlantic alliance.
“Today’s NATO is bigger than ever but the challenges are bigger, too”, Shapps said in a speech in London, warning that the international rules-based order was under threat.
“And that’s why the UK has committed… the totality of our air, land, and maritime assets to NATO”, Shapps continued.
Shapps went on to say, “In 2024 I am determined to do even more and that’s why I can announce today that the UK will send in some 20,000 personnel to lead one of NATO’s largest deployments since the end of the Cold War”.
Fighter jets and surveillance aircraft will be part of the UK contingent, as will the navy’s most advanced warships and submarines, as well as a complete spectrum of army capabilities, including special operations personnel.
London will send a Carrier Strike Group to the exercises, which will include its flagship aircraft carrier as well as F-35B fighter jets and helicopters.
Meanwhile, from next month to June, 16,000 soldiers will be deployed across Eastern Europe, bringing tanks, artillery, helicopters, and parachutes with them.
Shapps also spoke about last week’s joint UK-US airstrikes in Yemen against Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
In recent months, the Houthis have routinely attacked shipping in the Red Sea in protest of the Gaza war.
According to the UK minister, the strikes were planned as a single action.
When asked if there would be more military action, he answered, “I can’t predict the future for you”.
“We will not put up with a major waterway… being closed permanently to international shipping”, Shapps warned.
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