The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is set to participate in NATO’s Exercise Steadfast Defender 2024, a large-scale military exercise aimed at reinforcing the defense of Europe. Defence Minister Bill Blair emphasized Canada’s commitment to participating in this exercise as a demonstration of its ability to operate with NATO Allies and contribute to the defense of Europe.
The exercise is scheduled to take place from late January to the end of May and will consist of two segments. The first segment will focus on maritime defense in the North Atlantic and Arctic waters, while the second will test NATO’s ability to deploy reinforcements across various domains in defense of Central and Eastern Europe.
One of the objectives of the exercise is to deter Russia from considering aggression against any NATO member nations. This comes in light of NATO’s significant security enhancement along its eastern border following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s command to send troops into Ukraine in February 2022, marking the most substantial escalation of NATO’s presence since the Cold War era.
Steadfast Defender 2024, in development for over three years, will feature over 90,000 military personnel and include more than 50 naval assets, over 80 aircraft, and over 1,100 combat vehicles, spanning multiple domains. Approximately 1,000 CAF personnel are set to participate, demonstrating NATO’s capability to conduct defensive operations over several months in response to a simulated attack.
Key Canadian military equipment and teams participating in the exercise include the warship HMCS Charlottetown, a CH-148 Cyclone helicopter, and a soldier group stationed in Latvia supported by a Leopard 2 heavy tank squadron. The exercise will also involve working as part of a larger team of soldiers from different countries and planning and carrying out defense strategies alongside NATO officials. Additional related exercises will be conducted in Latvia, Estonia, and Norway, and the whole mission is part of Operation Reassurance, where Canada is involved in protecting and defending countries in Central and Eastern Europe.