NATO kicked off a large-scale military exercise along Germany’s Baltic coast on Feb. 18, staging amphibious landings near the Putlos training area in Schleswig‑Holstein. The drill, codenamed Steadfast Dagger‑2026, involves coordinated sea, land and shore operations intended to test allied readiness on Europe’s northern flank.
About 10,000 personnel from 13 countries are participating, with more than 1,500 vehicles and 17 ships committed to the manoeuvres, making it NATO’s largest exercise of the year. The scenario emphasises how forces based in southern Europe can be rapidly moved to the eastern flank — a logistical and operational challenge that has grown in prominence since Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine.
Notably, the United States did not directly take part in the manoeuvre, even as several European allies and partner navies conducted landings and manoeuvres. That absence underscores a shifting operational picture in which European NATO members are increasingly expected to lead regional deterrence efforts and demonstrate the alliance’s ability to operate without immediate U.S. boots on the ground.
The choice of an amphibious exercise on the Baltic coast carries particular strategic weight: sea lines of communication and littoral deployments are among the few avenues for reinforcing the eastern flank quickly, especially if land routes are constrained. Germany’s hosting role highlights Berlin’s centrality to NATO logistics and the political significance of allied activity on territory adjacent to the Baltic states and Poland.
Moscow is likely to view the exercise as a provocative display of collective resolve, and the drill risks prompting reciprocal Russian exercises or rhetoric in the region. For NATO, however, the primary aim is deterrence through visible preparedness, interoperability and the demonstration of practical reinforcement options rather than escalation for its own sake.
Observers should watch whether Steadfast Dagger‑2026 becomes a template for more frequent, Europe‑led drills and whether Washington’s non‑participation signals a temporary reprioritisation of U.S. military commitments. The exercise will also test NATO’s logistics, command arrangements and political cohesion at a time when allied unity and rapid reinforcement remain central to European security planning.