NATO will deploy an additional army corps to defend Latvia and Estonia

The North Atlantic Alliance is preparing a major overhaul of its command structure on its eastern flank. The goal of the new military structure is to maximize the speed of response and the rapid deployment of allied forces in Latvia and Estonia in the event of a direct threat from Russia. 

This was reported to Reuters by informed sources.

Currently, all NATO multinational forces deployed in the Baltic states and northern Poland are under a single command based in the Polish city of Szczecin. The proposed reform plan calls for the creation of an additional, second-tier command structure. According to a NATO military official, the establishment of an additional headquarters will allow NATO to act without delay at a critical moment and quickly concentrate forces in the necessary region. In wartime, an army corps typically comprises several divisions, totaling between 40,000 and 60,000 troops.

According to insiders, Germany and the Netherlands, in coordination with Alliance leadership, have already reached a preliminary agreement on deploying a joint German-Dutch corps to defend Estonia and Latvia. This unit is permanently based in the German city of Münster. It is expected that Berlin and Amsterdam, together with other international partners, will now begin a planned build-up of these forces’ combat capabilities.

The official effective date of this decision, as well as the exact size of the contingent under the new command in the event of a potential conflict, remain confidential at this time. The Dutch Ministry of Defense confirmed that the mission parameters for this corps are currently in the final stages of refinement, while refraining from providing further details. The German Ministry of Defense declined to comment, citing the fact that the internal coordination process within NATO is still ongoing.