United Kingdom to lead NATO’s rapid response force in 2024

Europe, News January 1, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

The United Kingdom is set to take the lead of NATO’s highest-readiness military force on January 1, 2024, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to pose security threats to Europe.

According to the NATO statement, the United Kingdom will take over the command from Germany, which led the NATO’s rapid reaction force in 2023. The UK’s 7th Light Mechanized Brigade will lead the alliance’s rapid response force, and place thousands of soldiers on standby and ready to deploy within days, the statement added.

NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) is the alliance’s response force, which includes land, air, maritime, and special operations forces. In 2024, the land forces of VJTF will comprise about 6,000 troops, with the UK’s 7th Light Mechanized Brigade Combat Team, known as “the Desert Rats”, at its core.

The NATO statement highlighted that “The brigade consists of a light cavalry regiment, and four light-mechanized infantry battalions with artillery, engineering, logistics, and medical regiments. Units include the Royal Anglian Regiment and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. Poland’s 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade and Spain’s Brigada Guzmán el Bueno will provide heavy battle tanks, attack helicopters, and air defenses.”

NATO’s acting Spokesperson Dylan White said, “This brigade needs to be ready to move within days to wherever NATO needs it, making it a key part of our collective defense. The UK’s leadership of our highest readiness formation is a clear display of its capabilities and commitment to NATO.”

NATO’s Joint Force Command in Brunssum will command the Response Force in the year 2024. “The United Kingdom’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps will serve as the land component command. The Alliance will transition the NATO Response Force into the new Allied Reaction Force in mid-2024,” the NATO statement added.

*^{A Patriot launcher with PAC-3 missiles deployed to Slovak Air Force Base Sliač at the NATO mission Enhanced Vigilance Activities, on August 23, 2022. (Image Credit: Bundeswehr/Tom Twardy)}*

The VJTF was created in 2014 to strengthen NATO’s Response Force after Russia’s annexation of Crimea and crises in the Middle East. In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the NATO Alliance deployed troops and military equipment to Romania under the first-ever collective defense mission of the VJTF.

NATO’s Response Force consists of a highly capable joint multinational force capable of reacting in a very short time to the full range of security challenges, from crisis management to collective defense of Allies.

In response to the Russian invasion and growing security challenges, NATO Allies have placed thousands of additional troops, armored vehicles, artillery units, ships, and aircraft at high readiness to ensure that the Alliance “continues to have the speed, responsiveness, and capability to defend NATO territory and populations.”