NATO to expand rapid response force

NATO is more than doubling the size of its rapid response force inEurope to help deter potential Russian aggression from the east
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NATO Response Force(NRF): Established in 2003. Reached full operational capability in 2006

Troops: 30,000-40,000

Capability: Land, sea, air and special forces can deploy worldwide within 5-30 days to meet range of security issues from crisis management to collective defence

Contributors: Allied nations commit forces on rotational basis for period of 12 months

Overall command: SACEUR(Supreme Allied Commander Europe),based in Belgium

Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) “Spearhead” componentwithin NRF, created in 2014

Troops: 5,000

Capability: Ready to deploy within 48 hours

Contributors: Britain, France,Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain to assume lead role on rotational basis. U.S. providing special forces, military equipment and intelligence

Command outposts: Established in six eastern European countries by 2016 to facilitate rapid deployment of NATO high-readiness forces
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
NATO members*

NRF operational command headquarters

NATO command outposts by 2016 

ATLANTIC OCEAN

Tallinn

Riga

Brunssum

Bydgoszcz

SACEUR

Naples

Vilnius

UKRAINE

Bucharest

Sofia

RUSSIA

Moscow

Crimea

*Includes Canada, Iceland and U.S.

500km 300 miles
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sources: NATO, wire agencies

Picture: Associated Press

words 191