How close are we to World War 3? | UK News
It feels as though we are inching ever closer to World War Three, as NATO announces plans to call up 90,000 troops in one of its largest military drills since the Cold War.
Around 20,000 British troops will be included in the call up, as the alliance begins to test each member state’s ability to engage in conflict.
It is the largest call up since the end of Cold War ended 33 years ago.
The exercise, called Steadfast Defender, will begin next week and run to late May.
All 31 NATO members will be involved in the drill, plus Sweden whose membership is being ratified.
US General Christopher Cavoli, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, told journalists in Brussels.
He said: ‘The Alliance will demonstrate its ability to reinforce the Euro-Atlantic area by a transatlantic movement of forces from North America.’
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps announced the deployment of all the army, navy and RAF on Monday.
The Royal Navy will send two new aircraft carriers and eight warships.
The RAF’s F-35 lightning attack aircraft will also be send and tested in the conflict scenarios.
NATO’s drill is primarily preparing for potential aggression from Russia.
Germany will also send 12,000 soldiers, according to national newspaper Bild.
They said the exercise will simulate a Russian attack on NATO territory, which would trigger Article 5 of the treaty, meaning all other member states must mobilise to defend it.
What is NATO?
‘NATO’ stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
The group was formed in 1949 and now has 31 members from Europe and North America.
Each member country has pledged to protect each other if attacked.
The current members are: Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Sweden has submitted an application to join NATO.
The previously largest NATO exercise ook place in 2018, with 51,000 troops participating in ‘Trident Juncture 2018’.
In a chilling speech last month, Mr Shapps declared that international relations have entered ‘a new era’.
‘We must be prepared to deter our enemies, prepared to lead our allies and prepared to defend our nation whenever the call comes,’ he said.
Shapps said Russia, China and Iran posed serious threats, calling them ‘unstable’ and ‘irrational’.
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