Germany will carry out large-scale exercises on NATO’s eastern flank

As part of the Grand Quadriga 2024 military exercises, Germany will practice a deployment of large army formations on NATO’s eastern flank in four countries.

The news was published on the website of the German Ministry of Defense.

Quadriga 2024 will be the largest exercise of German land forces since Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Germany thus makes a significant contribution to the deterrence along the eastern flank of the Alliance.

The main aim of the exercise will be to practice the deployment of large formations of German troops to the eastern flank of the Alliance, as well as to assess capabilities of the logistics infrastructure.

As part of the operation, the Bundeswehr will deploy a contingent of 12,000 troops, 3,000 vehicles and 30 aircrafts to practice combat readiness and deployment of national and multinational land forces in various NATO countries.

Plan of exercise

The Quadriga 2024 exercises, which will take place in Germany and abroad, will be combined with other planned allied exercises in Norway, Poland, Lithuania and Romania over a five-month period.

The Bundeswehr will use three formations for the exercise: the Rapid Response Forces Division (together with the 23rd Mountain Infantry Brigade), the 1st Armored Division (together with the 41st Armored Infantry Brigade), and the 10th Armored Division.

The training will be divided into four main stages:

• Grand North – March 5-14.
• Grand Center – May 21-26.
• Grand South – May 7-24.
• Grand Quadriga – May 15-30.

Once all participating forces will be alerted, the Rapid Response Forces Division (RRFD) will be the first to be deployed. In early 2024, they will train in the Grand North exercise and subsequently practice combat under extreme weather conditions on NATO’s northern flank as part of Nordic Response.

The 1st Armored Division will join other Dragon exercises in Poland and the US-led Saber Strike exercises as part of the Grand Center exercise in Central Europe.

After that, the 1st Armored Division will put newly introduced army force category medium forces for testing in Lithuania, while the RRFD‘s paratroopers will practice rapid deployment and operations on the southeastern flank of Europe within the context of the exercises Grand South.

The highlight and focus of 2024 will be Grand Quadriga, where 10th Armored Division will practice the deployment and mechanized operations as one single formation in Lithuania.