This is a list of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) exercises.
Cold War (1950–1990)
Mainbrace - Defence of Denmark and Norway during September 1952. 200 ships over 50,000 personnel Exercise Grand Slam. Naval exercise in the Mediterranean Sea in 1952. Exercise Longstep. Large naval exercise in the Mediterranean Sea in 1952. Exercise Italic Weld, a combined air-naval-ground exercise in northern Italy during August 1953 Exercise Grand Repulse during September 1953 British Army on the Rhine (BAOR) Netherlands Corps Allied Air Forces Central Europe (AAFCE) Exercise Monte Carlo, a simulated atomic air-ground exercise during September 1953 Central Army Group Exercise Weldfast, a combined amphibious landing exercise in the Mediterranean Sea during October 1953 American, British, Greek, Italian and Turkish naval forces. During Exercise Battle Royal in September 1954, I Corps (Belgium) consisted of 1 (BE) Infantry Division and 16 (BE) Armoured Division with 1 Canadian Brigade and 46 Parachute Brigade (16th Airborne Division (United Kingdom)) under command. Operation Counter Punch. 1957 Operation Strikeback. 1957. Involved 200 warships, 650 aircraft, and 75,000 personnel from the United States Navy, the Royal Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy, the French Navy, the Royal Netherlands Navy, and the Royal Norwegian Navy. Was the largest peacetime naval operation up to that time, according to the New York Times. Operation Deep Water. 1957 Exercise Reforger was a major annual exercise and campaign conducted from 1969 to 1993, mainly on German territory. Northern Wedding was a naval exercise held 1970-1986, designed to test NATO's ability to rearm and resupply Europe. Exercise Able Archer was an annual exercise by NATO military forces in Europe. Able Archer 83, carried out in November 1983, is believed to have nearly started a nuclear war with the Soviet Union.
Post-Cold War (1990–present) Northern Viking. Annual exercise held in Iceland, every two years until 2006 when the frequency was increased. Tests capability and inter-operability of forces. Includes naval vessels, fighter planes and helicopters from multiple countries. Size example: involved transfer of 400 foreign troops to iceland in 2008. Joint Warrior. Ongoing since sometime in the Cold War. Up to 13,000 personnel. Airborne assaults, amphibious landings, counter-insurgency, counter-piracy and interstate war. Held in UK. Currently done twice a year (as of 2022). Frisian Flag. Major aerial exercise in Netherlands. Annual, first held 1992. Uses about 70 aircraft. Eg about 1000 personnel in 2018. Unified Vision. Twice-yearly exercise which began in 2012 to test advanced defense systems at the Ørland Main Air Station in Norway. BALTOPS Annual US-led maritime exercise in Germany and the Baltic Sea. Participating countries include Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Finland and Sweden.
1997
Baltic Challenge. Naval.
1998
Baltic Challenge. Naval.
1999
Battle Griffin. 20,000 soldiers. 16 February to 3 March in Norway. Land, sea, air and Home Guard Forces from 8 NATO countries (Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States) participated.
2006
Cold Response: Took place in Norway in March, involving 10,000 troops from 11 countries under Norwegian leadership.
2009
Cold Response. Norwegian-led, in Norway 16–25 March. Cooperative 09. 1100 troops; held in Georgia. Loyal Arrow 09. Largest military exercise ever held in Sweden, involving 900 ground troops, 50 aircraft, and a British aircraft carrier with 1000 sailors onboard.
2010
Cold Response. 9,000 troops from 14 countries. Norwegian-led in Norway 17 Feb - 4 March.
2012
Cold Response. 16,000 troops. Norwegian-led in Norway in March.
2014
Cold Response. More than 16,000 troops. Norwegian-led in Norway in March. Atlantic Resolve. Four companies of U.S. forces (about 150 troops each) rotate continuously throughout the year, deployed in Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland. Also U.S. Air Force Joint Terminal Attack Controller from the 2nd Air Support Operations Squadron out of Vilseck, Germany.
2015
Atlantic Resolve. Several U.S. fighter squadrons and U.K. Royal Air Force "Task Force Brawler" operate in Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. Dragoon Ride. Small operation connected with Atlantic Resolve. Spring Storm (Siil, Hedgehog). 13,000 troops including 7,000 reservists. Article 5-type scenario in Estonia in May.