Since its establishment in 1949, NATO has been dedicated to securing lasting peace in Europe and across the transatlantic region, based on individual liberty, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. As of 2024, NATO has expanded its membership to thirty-two countries, covering an area that represents 16.63 percent of the world’s habitable land and 12.13 percent of the global population. To maintain this peace, NATO must ensure effective deterrence, enhance its capabilities, utilize resources efficiently, and remain a combat-ready force.

Achieving combat readiness is a comprehensive process that involves several key components:

1. Training and education: Regular drills and exercises, specialized training, and continuous education on the latest technology, tactics, and global security developments.
2. Logistical preparation: Efficient supply chain management, maintenance and upkeep of equipment, and rapid deployment capabilities.
3. Technological readiness: Modernization of equipment and robust cybersecurity measures to maintain operational integrity.
4. Intelligence and surveillance: Accurate and timely intelligence, supported by robust surveillance systems and networks.
5. Strategic planning: Effective scenario planning and flexible strategies.
6. Physical and mental preparedness: Ensuring physical conditioning and mental resilience.
7. Interoperability and coordination: Conducting joint operations and fostering allied cooperation.
8. Leadership and command structure: Maintaining strong leadership and a clear command structure.

In this article, I will strategically examine NATO exercises within the field of training and education.

While war games and military exercises simulate real scenarios, they differ in execution. Military exercises involve actual troops and equipment, focusing on replicating wartime decisions for training purposes. In contrast, war games use simulations with artificial players and models to explore potential decisions and outcomes.

Exercises serve various purposes, including testing tactics, demonstrating deterrence, and ensuring forces are prepared for combat. They also verify the readiness of units before deployment.

NATO held its first military exercise in 1951 to develop a unified military force under centralized command. Since then, NATO has conducted thousands of exercises across various domains, particularly during the Cold War. Notable exercises include the REFORGER (Return of Forces to Germany) series, which tested the rapid deployment of North American troops to Europe, with the last major exercise being REFORGER 88, involving 125,000 personnel.

NATO’s rapid reaction forces have evolved since the creation of the Allied Command Europe Mobile Force (AMF) in 1960, which played a crucial role in deterrence and defense during the Cold War. Subsequently, NATO expanded its mission to include crisis response, reflecting the evolving security environment.

In 2002, the AMF was restructured into the NATO Response Force (NRF), which continues to be integral to NATO’s strategy, ensuring readiness and adaptability through operational exercises.

Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NATO significantly increased its collective defense exercises and further enhanced its defense plans.

Now, let us explore NATO and member exercises conducted in 2024 to gain some insights:

1. Steadfast Defender 24: NATO’s largest military exercise held from January to May 2024, showcased the enduring unity between Europe and North America, reflecting the shared commitment to safeguarding over one billion people for the past seventy-five years. The exercise involved over 90,000 troops from all thirty-two NATO members and was conducted in two main phases: securing the Atlantic region and rapidly moving troops across Europe, from the High North to Central and Eastern Europe. This exercise demonstrated NATO’s ability to respond swiftly to emerging threats and highlighted the Alliance’s readiness and collective defense capabilities.
2. Coalition Warrior Interoperability Exercise (CWIX): An annual NATO exercise celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2024, CWIX enhances the readiness and resilience of command-and-control capabilities and IT services. Hosted at NATO’s Joint Force Training Centre in Poland, CWIX 2024 involved over 2,500 participants and tested more than 26,000 cases across 480 capabilities, from emerging technologies to proven tools. CWIX plays a crucial role in ensuring interoperability among NATO forces.
3. EFES 2024: The largest joint military exercise conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces, held from April 25 to May 31, 2024, took place in two phases: a computer-assisted command post phase in Istanbul and a live-fire phase in Izmir. With participation from forty-five nations and nearly 11,000 military personnel, EFES 2024 demonstrated significant international military collaboration and commitment. Participants included nine NATO members, sixteen NATO partners, fifteen African Union countries, two Latin American nations, one Middle Eastern nation, one other European nation, and one Asian nation, highlighting its importance in regional and global security.
4. Baltic Operations 2024, Ramstein Legacy 24, and other exercises also involved members and partners.

Based on the exercises, three separate reports, analyses, and the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war since 2022, we can conclude that although NATO has made substantial progress in areas such as defense spending, forward defense, high-readiness forces, command and control, and collective defense exercises, as well as integrating new members, the alliance is prepared for immediate combat but may not be fully equipped for a protracted war. Therefore, what are our short- and mid-term solutions to address the vulnerabilities?”

Drawing from my NATO and national experience, as well as academic research, I offer the following recommendations for improving exercises to strengthen deterrence:

• Address and overcome key lessons learned in meetings at all levels, from the chair of the NATO Military Committee (CMC), supreme allied commander Europe (SACEUR), and supreme allied commander transformation (SACT), down to component commanders, chiefs of staff, mentors, and directors of centers of excellence.
• Designate mentors/senior fellows with academic and combat experience to NATO institutions, such as the NATO Defense College and NATO School.
• Develop more effective leadership training at all levels to ensure quick and accurate decision-making.
• Enhance response plans for various conflict scenarios, including asymmetric and future challenges, to improve forces’ readiness for unforeseen situations.
• Test physical and psychological training to ensure troops manage combat demands and stresses.
• Improve national resilience and interoperability across all domains through joint, allied, and live-fire exercises and operations.
• Ensure that the southern region also is included in exercises.

Lastly, to guarantee alliance security, we must prepare our troops without hesitation, with combat readiness listed as a top priority.

Uğur Tarçın is a retired Turkish Lieutenant General. He served in Italy, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Belgium, the USA, and İzmir, throughout his NATO career. Currently, he teaches at Marmara University and SAHA ISTANBUL Academy.

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Image: A US Army Soldier from the Regimental Engineer Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, displays his EFES 24 patch during a demolition training mission at a military training site south of Izmir, Türkiye, May 28, 2024. EFES 24 is an international combined joint exercise focused on increasing force readiness, promoting stability and prosperity in the region, and interoperability between the US, Türkiye, and allied nations. (US Army Photo by Maj. Ashley Bain)