NATO is currently conducting Exercise Steadfast Dart 2025, a six-week military exercise involving approximately 10,000 troops from nine member nations.
According to an Associated Press report, the U.S. is not participating in the exercises.
The news outlet said the drills are reportedly designed to test NATO’s ability to rapidly deploy forces across Eastern Europe without direct U.S. support, as Washington adjusts its approach to European defense amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
🆕 Exercise #SteadfastDart25 is the first ever large-scale deployment of NATO’s Allied Reaction Force.
NATO is steadfast in its commitment to keep our people safe, defend our territory and safeguard our shared values
pic.twitter.com/RSAjB5qBsD— NATO (@NATO) January 10, 2025
Participating nations in Steadfast Dart 2025 include Bulgaria, France, Greece, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. The exercise, which began on January 13 and is scheduled to conclude on February 26.
The exercise features 17 naval vessels, over 20 aircraft, and more than 1,500 military vehicles. The United Kingdom leads the operation with 2,600 military personnel and 730 vehicles, assuming command of all land forces during the drills.
🇹🇷 TCG Yzb. Güngör Durmuş, TCG Ayvalık and 🇫🇷 FS Capricorne, assigned to #SNMCMG2, conducted mine countermeasures operations during Exercise Steadfast Dart 25.
These operations aim to ensure the safety of maritime routes and strengthen cooperation among allied forces.… pic.twitter.com/I7rIFqit4v
— NATO Maritime Command (@NATO_MARCOM) February 13, 2025
Lieutenant General Peter Scott, Deputy Commander of NATO’s Joint Force Command in Naples described the exercise as a significant milestone in modernizing and expanding NATO’s readiness to defend allied territory. He emphasized the importance of the military training in strengthening NATO’s eastern border amid ongoing tensions with Russia.
The non-inclusion of the U.S. in the military exercises comes amid growing concerns over the country’s commitment to collective defense.
President Donald Trump previously urged NATO members to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP—more than double the current 2% target—warning that the U.S. could withdraw from the alliance if they fail to comply. He also stated that he would “encourage” Russia to attack NATO members that do not meet their obligations.
Recently, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that European nations should also assume a greater share of funding for Ukraine.
