Britain deploying 20,000 troops across Europe to deter Russia

Posted: 16th January 2024

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has announced that in the first half of 2024, 20,000 service personnel from the Royal Navy, the British Army, and the Royal Air Force will deploy across Europe to take part in Exercise Steadfast Defender 24.
The exercises will see the UK’s Armed Forces join thousands of personnel from 31 NATO allies and Sweden, operating across multiple countries, coinciding with the NATO Alliance’s 75th year.
The following is an excerpt of this speech given by Shapps (https://gqnk289.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fukdefencejournal.org.uk%2F%3Fnltr=NDY7MzAxOTtodHRwczovL3d3dy5nb3YudWsvZ292ZXJubWVudC9zcGVlY2hlcy9kZWZlbmRpbmctYnJpdGFpbi1mcm9tLWEtbW9yZS1kYW5nZXJvdXMtd29ybGQ7O2VhMjBhZTljNTU3NWYyNjFjNGRkNzE5NzEwYmQ2MzJl/1/0102018d0db9afc1-fe040664-228d-4b81-a966-c944cfde4e70-000000/6WeJSP09Fw-mGo82Lkp8QD3mbA4=356).
“If Putin thought we’d be distracted by the events in the Middle East then last week, because of the long-term decisions this government has taken, his hopes were surely dashed. In a complex world, no nation can afford to go it alone, so we must continue strengthening our alliances so the world knows they cannot be broken. Defence is in many ways the cornerstone of our relations across the world.
Our world leading Armed Forces, cutting-edge industrial base and willingness to support our allies is the reason why Britain is the partner of choice for so many. And among our partnerships, NATO remains pre-eminent. Seventy-five years after its foundation, today NATO is bigger than ever. But the challenges are bigger too.
That’s why the UK has committed nearly the totality of our air, land and maritime assets to NATO. But, in 2024, I am determined to do even more.
Which is why I can announce today that UK will be sending some 20,000 personnel to lead one of NATO’s largest deployments since the end of the Cold War, Exercise Steadfast Defender. It will see our military joining forces with counterparts from 30 NATO countries plus Sweden, providing vital reassurance against the Putin menace.
Our carrier strike group will be out in full force, with our magnificent flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth leading the way. And flying from her decks will be the fifth generation F35 lightning jets, accompanied by a fearsome phalanx of frigates, destroyers and helicopters. We’ll also have a submarine patrolling the depths, and one of our Poseidon P8 aircraft conducting surveillance from the skies above, and more than 400 of our brilliant Royal Marines will be training in the Arctic Circle, contending with some of the toughest environments anywhere on the planet.
On land, we’ll be deploying over 16,000 soldiers, led by our 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team which superbly led our recent response in Kosovo. All of which, makes this our largest deployment of land forces to NATO for 40 years.”

Click here for a breakdown of what is to be deployed where. (https://gqnk289.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fukdefencejournal.org.uk%2F%3Fnltr=NDY7MzAxOTtodHRwczovL3VrZGVmZW5jZWpvdXJuYWwub3JnLnVrL2EtYnJlYWtkb3duLW9mLWJyaXRpc2gtZm9yY2VzLWRlcGxveWluZy1pbi1ldXJvcGUvOzthN2Y5NTkzZDZlMTE4MjY0NGY3YjBjYzE5NTY4ZTIzMg%253D%253D/1/0102018d0db9afc1-fe040664-228d-4b81-a966-c944cfde4e70-000000/YyECPP-w5p5Cg4JNci6pSrTR1K8=356)
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A breakdown of British forces deploying in Europe
With the news that 20,000 British troops, tanks, artillery, jets, attack helicopters, submarines, warships and even an aircraft carrier are to deploy around Europe, we take a look at what… (https://gqnk289.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fukdefencejournal.org.uk%2F%3Fnltr=NDY7MzAxOTtodHRwczovL3VrZGVmZW5jZWpvdXJuYWwub3JnLnVrL2EtYnJlYWtkb3duLW9mLWJyaXRpc2gtZm9yY2VzLWRlcGxveWluZy1pbi1ldXJvcGUvOzthN2Y5NTkzZDZlMTE4MjY0NGY3YjBjYzE5NTY4ZTIzMg%253D%253D/4/0102018d0db9afc1-fe040664-228d-4b81-a966-c944cfde4e70-000000/FP6w_7mqSTlH38rWW00GmX52GBM=356)

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