⢠NATO to buy 1,000 Patriot missiles to enhance Alliesâ air defences
⢠Video: Meet Lotte, the bomb-sniffing dog from the UK
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NATOâs Support and Procurement Agency will support a coalition of Allies, including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain to procure up to 1,000 Patriot missiles to strengthen their air defences amid Russiaâs war against Ukraine. The contract will expand the European production of the missiles, enhancing supply and ensuring the replenishment of Allied stockpiles.
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From 1 January 2024, the United Kingdomâs 7th Light Mechanised Brigade will lead NATOâs rapid reaction force, placing thousands of soldiers on standby and ready to deploy within days. NATOâs Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) was created after Russiaâs annexation of Crimea in 2014 and was deployed for the first time for collective defence of the Alliance after Russiaâs full-fledged invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The leadership position is rotated annually among Allies. The UK takes over from Germany, which led the force in 2023.
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In 2023, NATO air forces across Europe scrambled well over 300 times to intercept Russian military aircraft approaching Alliance airspace, with most intercepts occurring over the Baltic Sea. NATO has standing air-policing missions that calls for Allied jets to scramble when there are signs of Russian military planes approaching Allied airspace in unpredictable ways.
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Meet Lotte, a 'High Assurance Search Dog' who is getting ready to serve for the NATO Response force (NRF), the Allianceâs on-call crisis response unit.
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