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Germany and the Netherlands will set up a joint tactical headquarters in the Baltics this year to command forces on NATO’s eastern flank and help deter Russia, Berlin said on Thursday.
The joint German-Dutch command centre known as 1GNC will “assume a command role on NATO’s eastern flank, specifically in the region Estonia and Latvia” in coming months, the German defence ministry said in a statement.
“The deployment of an additional tactical headquarters to the region strengthens the cohesion of NATO and supports the deterrence of Russia,” it said.
1GNC is a command centre that can control up to 50,000 troops if needed.
Its tasks include planning and running military exercises, planning for possible conflict and leading forces if a war breaks out.
The unit, the German-Netherlands Corps, is headquartered in the German city Münster and deploys from there for NATO missions when required.
Currently, NATO forces in the Baltic region come under the command of a single headquarters in the Polish city of Szczecin.
The new command headquarters is intended to give NATO more capacity and the ability to respond more quickly.
“By establishing a second corps headquarters in the region…Germany together with the Netherlands demonstrate their willingness and ability to assume responsibility for deterrence and defence of NATO’s eastern flank,” the ministry said.
The Netherlands and Germany rotate command of 1GNC, which was established in 1995. Germany is in charge of the unit until early 2028.
In addition to the Netherlands and Germany, a further 14 NATO countries currently provide staff to the headquarters.
NATO launched its Baltic Sentry programme in mid-January last year to enhance security and surveillance of critical undersea infrastructure after a string of suspected sabotage incidents in the region.
And on Tuesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the spate of recent drone incursions into the airspace of European Union countries over the past few weeks are “not isolated incidents,” as Baltic leaders and EU officials cautioned that hybrid threats along Europe’s eastern border are intensifying.
Additional sources • AFP