Polish Army General Staff reports that the national exercise of the Polish Armed Forces with the participation of the armed forces of other countries Dragon-24 begins on Sunday.
A key element of STDE-24 will be the Polish national exercise Dragon-24 (DR-24), which begins on 25 February. It is reported that STDE-24 and DR-24 are defensive exercises, they are not directed against any country, but are a demonstration of the ability to counter the Russian Federation.
The Steadfast Defender 2024 exercise, including national exercises involving the armed forces of other countries, such as Dragon-24 and Defender-24, organised by the US European Command, will be the largest demonstration of the defence capabilities of the Alliance and its member states since 1999, i.e. since the so-called first wave of NATO enlargement, which included Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary.
“The DR-24 exercise will involve a total of about 20,000 soldiers and 3,500 units of equipment from 10 NATO countries, including about 15,000 soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces,” the Polish Army General Staff said.
In addition to military operations on land, in the air and at sea, military operations will also be conducted in cyberspace. The 11th Armoured Cavalry Division will be the main force involved in the exercise, but special forces, air force, navy and territorial defence will also be involved, according to the Polish Army General Staff.
The exercise will be divided into two general phases. The first phase will include crisis management exercises, while the second phase will include defensive operations exercises. Soldiers will carry out their tasks in field training centres and on so-called random terrain. Key elements will be the crossing of the Vistula River by Allied forces and the movement of a NATO Very High Readiness Joint Task Force.
