NATO Allies in Central Europe concluded Steadfast Dart 26, an exercise aimed at enhancing security in the region.
The 2026 iteration marked the second deployment of the Alliance’s Allied Reaction Force (ARF), NATO’s high readiness, multidomain force that can be deployed at very short notice to carry out a wide range of tasks, according to a NATO news release. It was ARF’s first deployment within the area of responsibility of Allied Joint Force Command (JFC) Brunssum in the Netherlands.
“Last year, Steadfast Dart incorporated the first deployment of NATO’s new Allied Reaction Force, demonstrating Allied Command Operations’ ability to respond at a moment’s notice to an emergent threat to our Alliance,” said U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and Commander of U.S. European Command. “This year’s exercise builds upon that success and will again demonstrate NATO’s responsiveness, as well as its strength, in what will arguably be one of NATO’s most visible exercises this year, with forces on the land, at sea, and in the air, who will operate in all domains.”
Steadfast Dart 26 brought together 10,000 service members from 11 nations in Central Europe, including Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Spain and Türkiye. The exercise took place over three weeks. Personnel from Belgium, France and the United Kingdom also linked their own national exercises to Steadfast Dart. The U.S. did not deploy direct support, providing an opportunity for European Allies to train together.
The exercise consisted of two major stages: The deployment phase, which began in mid-January 2026, involved placement of 20 aircraft, more than a dozen ships, and more than 1,500 military vehicles and support equipment. The training phase, which took place in February, integrated land, air, space, cyber, maritime and special operations forces. Both phases occurred during a simulated conflict scenario involving a near-peer adversary and demonstrated that the ARF and other participating forces can conduct and sustain complex operations across multiple locations in Central Europe, particularly in Germany.
ARF activated in July 2024 under the overall command of SACEUR as a strategic, rapidly deployable force to counter a range of threats, including hybrid warfare, terrorism and cyberattacks. Its formation is part of the NATO Force Structure’s modernization first discussed at the 2022 Summit in Madrid, a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. NATO leaders say the force was designed to be flexible, scalable and multinational. Lead nations are Italy, Spain, Türkiye and the U.K. NATO Rapid Deployable Corps Italy is the ARF’s current headquarters until a permanent base is established, according to a NATO news release.
“Steadfast Dart 2026, NATO’s largest exercise of 2026, shows that the Alliance can act swiftly, stand united, and respond decisively under the leadership of Joint Force Command Brunssum —exactly when it matters most,” said German Air Force Gen. Ingo Gerhartz, commander of Allied JFC Brunssum. “With Exercise Steadfast Dart, we are demonstrating that NATO’s Allied Reaction Force toolbox contains every capability needed to react to any threat.”