Politico: NATO In Romania Sends A Strong Signal To Russia
5- 14.11.2025, 10:39
- 6,124
The North Atlantic Alliance made a show of force.
NATO conducted a large-scale military exercise in the rugged, wooded mountains of central Romania. Some 5,000 alliance troops practiced defending against a conventional enemy in what the organizers themselves called a "show of force. In the training scenario, French Puma helicopters emerged from behind clouds and passed low over hills, tanks and howitzers took up positions, and fighter jets and drones appeared in the sky - all to show NATO's readiness to act quickly and coherently.
"The main purpose of the scenario is deterrence," said the commander of NATO's Multinational Division Southeast, Major General Major General Dorin Toma. And the object of that message is no secret: Russia of Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin, writes Politico.
The exercises were reportedly part of the annual maneuvers known as Dacian Fall, but this year they had special weight. They came just weeks after Washington announced a sharp drawdown of U.S. troops in Romania - even as European defense and intelligence agencies warn: Moscow may test the alliance's resolve in coming years.
The media writes that Romania, which borders Ukraine, Moldova and the Black Sea, is home to several NATO bases. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a NATO multinational battlegroup under the command of France, which also includes Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg, is stationed there.
U.S. troop drawdown in Europe
In November, the Pentagon said it would move an infantry brigade of about 800 troops back to Kentucky from Romania as the U.S. military shifts its focus to domestic priorities of border defense and the Indo-Pacific region. About 1,000 U.S. troops will remain in the country as part of a bilateral defense agreement between Washington and Bucharest.
NATO Secretary of State Mark Rutte, top Romanian officials and the Trump administration have downplayed the significance of the decision. But Romanian Defense Ministry Secretary of State Sorin Moldovan recently said the U.S. should "cancel" the contingent reduction.
The reduction in U.S. forces is not expected to have a military impact. Politically, however, some fear it could prompt Putin to "test his luck."
"The contingent reduction will have limited operational consequences. But strategic signals should worry the alliance. Exercises like Dacian Fall should "demonstrate deterrence," said RAND analyst Anka Agachi.
Military Mobility
The exercises are meant to show that NATO's military is prepared to act together to strengthen its eastern flank - and apply the lessons of the war in Ukraine.
In responding to Russian aggression, speed is critical. In one of the largest redeployment operations, the French army was able to deliver troops and equipment to Romania within the ten-day deadline set by NATO. The alliance requires France to be ready to deploy a combat-ready division on its eastern flank in 30 days by 2027.
"For the first time, we decided to use a ship. It took us two days to reach Greece and another two or three days to cross Bulgaria," said Gen. Maxime Do Tran, commander of the French armored brigade participating in the maneuvers. Other units arrived by five planes, 11 trains and about 15 convoys.
What equipment was used in the exercise
Soldiers on the ground used equipment from across the alliance: German Eurofighters, Romanian F-16s, HIMARS jets, Caesar SAU and Mistral anti-aircraft systems.
And lots of drones, the media said. The Romanians tested Turkey's Bayraktar TB2 for the first time in a large-scale exercise. Other drones provided target designation, acted as barrage munitions and FPV drones widely used in Ukraine.
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