NATO OSINT Field Notes

NATO-focused OSINT news/analytics
• one operation at a time

[NATO OSINT Field Notes @FieldOsint]

Modern conditions also place a heavy reliance on air forces, not just for offensive support but also for defensive capabilities. In this case, #NATO trained defensive countermeasure drills that are usable, for example, against infrared-guided threats.

[NATO OSINT Field Notes @FieldOsint]

Meanwhile, the war against Iran is stealing the media spotlight, #NATO has been engaged in various important operations and exercises worldwide. One of them, finished in late February, is #DynamicGuard.

[NATO OSINT Field Notes @FieldOsint]

Why is it so relevant? With the war in Ukraine, conditions on the battlefield changed drastically. The focus of the exercise is on electronic warfare, including radar tracking, deceptive electronic emissions, and electromagnetic interference.

[NATO OSINT Field Notes @FieldOsint]

In the previous days, we have seen various US air and maritime forces slowly advance closer to Iran and Israel. As this was happening, the joint US/Israeli strike on Iran starting on the 28th of February (today) wasn't entirely unexpected.

[NATO OSINT Field Notes @FieldOsint]

Read about the important takeaways from the NATO #SteadfastDart26 exercise on Substack:
https://t.co/kIaW8PvYlo

[NATO OSINT Field Notes @FieldOsint]

The French fleet's main objective is the #BalticSentry operation, even though it's connected to the #ArcticSentry as well, as it is and should be again in the near future passing through the area. During the incident, the fleet was docked in the Swedish port of Malmö.

[NATO OSINT Field Notes @FieldOsint]

There have been numerous planned #NATO activities in the Arctic & High North for this year, mostly exercises focused on the tough local environmental conditions.

[NATO OSINT Field Notes @FieldOsint]

Today (26/2) this vigilance proved to be justified, as a Russian drone tried to approach the FS Charles de Gaulle and was disabled by the Swedish military, before making contact, eventually crashing into the sea.

[NATO OSINT Field Notes @FieldOsint]

@ArmadaCR Does the Czech contribution consist solely of the 43rd Airborne personnel, or does it also include any logistics components?

[NATO OSINT Field Notes @FieldOsint]

Phase 2 of #SteadfastDart26 was planned to begin on 7/2, activating the shift in focus onto the training part.

Even with this phase now active, some deployments (Phase 1) happened after the set date, with a part of Turkish, Spanish and Italian forces arriving on the 8/2. Czech forces, presumably because of being closest to the site, arrived on 10/2. So far, there has been no mention of the rest of the participating countries' movement, presumably joining the exercise later on.

[NATO OSINT Field Notes @FieldOsint]

Arrival of Turkish forces in Germany, mostly in the form of armoured vehicles spotted on the highways, has alarmed a small number of citizens.

Wondering about the unusual sight, some people posted videos on social media, asking for clarification. A large Turkish movement in Germany is expected in the following weeks, accompanied by forces from other nations, as part of a planned NATO exercise, #SteadfastDart26.

[NATO OSINT Field Notes @FieldOsint]

1st phase of NATO's exercise #SteadfastDart26 has concluded, read all about it below:

https://t.co/KxYkCYdWSu

[NATO OSINT Field Notes @FieldOsint]

As NATO has yet to reveal the specific plans and timeline of the ongoing exercise in Germany, a report from a Chinese "military expert" Du Wenlong has been analysed online.

He compared the operational methods to "those of the Cold War era", stating "very limited practical value and deterrent effect."

The expert claims a connection with the situation in Greenland, not acknowledging the fact that the exercise was planned. According to him, the EU states (as opposed to US activities) "are seeking to flex their muscles" by their involvement in the Steadfast Dart 2026.

[NATO OSINT Field Notes @FieldOsint]

Steadfast Dart 2026 will consist of two phases - deployment and training. Phase 1 began on 15/01, with the deployment of the first Italian units arriving at the port of Emden, Germany.

The deployment phase of the exercise is linked to testing heavy-lifting maritime ops/infrastructure. By its definition, this is one of the main pillars of ARF's existence. Phase 2 will be focused on a simulated conflict involving a near-peer adversary.

[NATO OSINT Field Notes @FieldOsint]

NATO's exercise Steadfast Dart 2026 should, according to official ARF sources, include 11 NATO nations and in total around 10000 military personnel.

This list includes Italy, Greece, Germany, Czechia, Spain, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Turkey + France, Belgium, UK. The roles of individual countries have not yet been specified, although the phrasing of the official NATO statements signals partial involvement of France, Belgium and the UK, inferred by their national exercises happening at the same time.

[NATO OSINT Field Notes @FieldOsint]

The first NATO exercise of this year, Steadfast Dart 2026, has the potential to become the year's most interesting exercise to the public's eye, as it's officially the first large-scale and only the 2nd ever ARF exercise.

NATO is testing ARF’s deployable capabilities and procedures, interoperability among troop contributing nations and the host nation. Exercise is planned to last from the 2nd of January until the 18th of March.

[NATO OSINT Field Notes @FieldOsint]

One of the other important aspects of ARF is its multiple-domain focus - including land, air, maritime, space, cyber and special operations.

This wider focus is reportedly better suited than former NRF to the needs of modern world, technologies and crisis response.