NATO Exercises 2026: The Complete Guide to Allied Readiness

Bookmark this page for the authoritative, always-updated overview of NATO’s 2026 training calendar—drill dates, domains, and deployments across the alliance.

Why This Article Matters (and Why You Should Bookmark It)

NATO's exercise calendar is never published in one go. SHAPE populates its schedule incrementally — typically confirming winter/spring drills first, with summer and autumn exercises announced as late as April or May. For journalists, policy analysts, and security professionals, this creates an information gap.

This guide closes it: a single, evergreen reference updated within 24 hours of any official confirmation. No more piecing together press releases from SHAPE, DVIDS, and a dozen national defence ministries.

Interactive Map: NATO Exercises in 2026

Zoom, click, or hover to explore the geographic distribution of this year’s drills.

Note: Marker positions are approximate mid-points of each exercise area.

2026 NATO Exercise Calendar at a Glance

Confirmed for 2026, exact dates pending: Romania's 2026 programme — HISTRIA 26 (strategic), DACIA 26 (tactical, linked to Steadfast Defender 27 planning), Land Shield 26, Burebista 26, Carpathian Arc 26 (MNC-SE led), Steadfast Deterrence 26, Steadfast Duel 26. Cyber Coalition 26 (referenced in NATO ACT coverage of Cyber Coalition 25; November–December cadence expected).

Probable but not yet confirmed (annual recurring): Hedgehog (Estonia, May expected), NAMEJS (Latvia, September–October expected), Thunder Storm (Lithuania, historically a spring exercise; in recent years subsumed into the broader Thunder series — Thunder Fortress / Thunder Strike cluster — so a distinct 2026 iteration is uncertain), Joint Warrior 26-1 (UK, April TBC per Defence Press Agency; Italian LEG 26 participation reported), Mare Aperto (Italy, April–May expected per recent Italian Navy scheduling), Dynamic Messenger (Portugal/Atlantic, September expected), Sandy Coast, Steadfast Noon (October expected).

Confirmed off-cycle or not running in 2026: Arctic Challenge (biennial; ACE 25 was cancelled in June 2025 after US and Danish withdrawals; next iteration 2027). Northern Coasts (paused by Bundeswehr naval command per Marineforum, 28 January 2026; replaced in the Quadriga cluster by Northern Quadriga 26). Formidable Shield (biennial, ran 2025, next 2027). Saber Guardian (absent from the Sword 26 lineup after the DEFENDER rebrand; Sword 26 retains Baltic-focused Saber Strike but has dropped the Black Sea–oriented Saber Guardian; no 2026 iteration announced).

Flagship Drills to Watch in 2026

Completed

ARCTIC DOLPHIN 26 (2–24 Feb, Norway)  An annual ASW exercise off western Norway (Bjørnafjorden, Sognesjøen, Sognefjorden) bringing together Norwegian and allied navies, including Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1). The drill focused on anti-submarine warfare and certifying new submarine commanders in Arctic maritime conditions.

DYNAMIC FRONT 26 (26 Jan – 13 Feb 2026, Romania – completed).A multinational field artillery command-post and live-fire exercise at Romania's Cincu training centre, practising the Eastern Flank Deterrence Line (EFDL) concept. Eight NATO nations coordinated lethal and non-lethal fires across a distributed battlefield, testing multi-domain kill webs and counter-A2/AD capabilities. The exercise culminated with media day and live fires on 9 February in Cincu. (Overall, up to 23 NATO allies participated across five countries and nine training areas.)

DYNAMIC MANTA 26 (23 Feb – 6 Mar, Mediterranean Sea) Major ASW/submarine warfare drill involving submarines, maritime patrol aircraft, helicopters, and surface ships from 10 allied nations: Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Türkiye, the UK, and the US. Notable first: the exercise integrated an uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) into operations — the first time NATO has incorporated this technology into Dynamic Manta.

DYNAMIC MARINER 26 (5–20 Mar, Mediterranean Sea) ARF Maritime Component certification (LIVEX). This year's iteration was geared specifically towards certifying the Royal Navy to assume command of the Allied Reaction Force (Maritime) on 1 July 2026, when the UK takes over the ARF/M lead from the current holder. The exercise drew heavily on Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2), currently under Spanish Navy command, with significant Spanish participation alongside Royal Navy, Italian, Greek and other allied surface, subsurface and air assets. MARCOM used the drill to validate command integration, sustainment, and multi-domain maritime operations in the Mediterranean.

STEADFAST DART 26 (2 Jan – 18 Mar, Germany / Baltic Sea)
NATO’s largest completed exercise of early 2026. The second deployment of the Allied Reaction Force (ARF), and its first under JFC Brunssum. Approximately 10,000–11,000 personnel from 13 nations — including ARF units from Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Spain, and Türkiye plus linking forces — exercised multi-domain operations at Bergen training area in Lower Saxony with amphibious elements on the Baltic coast.

Some 3,000 vehicles, including 1,000 British, arrived via Emden, testing 'Military Schengen' rail and road logistics. The exercise also produced a notable first: on 20 February, Turkey deployed a Bayraktar TB-3 fixed-wing UAV from the flight deck of TCG Anadolu — the first fixed-wing UAV operation from an amphibious assault ship in a NATO exercise. The TB-3 was subsequently used for live counter-UAS training against German and Italian Eurofighters and Spanish F-18s, supported by a Spanish A400M tanker. ARF elements subsequently transitioned into the German Bundeswehr's Grand Quadriga 26 and Northern Quadriga exercises, while the Turkish Maritime Task Group sailed north to join Cold Response 26 — demonstrating the kind of seamless exercise-to-exercise force flow that underpins NATO's 2026 calendar logic. Read our deep-dive on Steadfast Dart 2026 for details:

Steadfast Dart 2026: NATO’s First Major Test of the Allied Reaction Force

A deep-dive into Exercise Steadfast Dart 2026 — the Allied Reaction Force’s first operational-scale deployment under JFC Brunssum, and the clearest test yet of NATO’s post-NRF multi-domain readiness architecture.

Großwald | European Defence IntelligenceGroßwald

COLD RESPONSE 26 (9–19 Mar, Norway / Finland / Sweden)  The year's premier Arctic exercise. Norway-led, with 32,500 participants from 14 nations — 25,000 in Norway (11,800 on land, the remainder naval and air) and 7,500 in Finland — trained across land, sea, air, cyber, and space domains in Nordland, Troms, and western Finnmark, plus northern Finland. This is the first Cold Response under NATO's new Multi Corps Land Component Command (MCLCC) in Mikkeli, Finland — and the first to fall under the Arctic Sentry umbrella. A large-scale simulation ran in parallel, involving significantly larger simulated forces to increase realism and complexity for participating headquarters. Maritime operations extended into the North Atlantic; air operations spanned all Nordic countries. Participating nations: Norway, Finland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Canada, Spain, Türkiye, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, and NATO. A critical test of JFC Norfolk's operational control over the Nordic region following its assumption of responsibility for the full Arctic AOR. The exercise was led from a joint Norwegian–US headquarters at Reitan, near Bodø. Norway has designated 2026 as the year of 'Total Defence,' and Cold Response was a central component, testing how civilian infrastructure and public institutions support military operations under crisis conditions.

Key developments since launch: The French carrier strike group (Charles de Gaulle), originally scheduled to participate in Cold Response’s maritime component, was retasked by President Macron to the Eastern Mediterranean around 7 March amid escalating Iran tensions. The United States has also withdrawn one squadron of F-35A Lightning IIs that had been scheduled to operate from Ørland, Norway — officials have not confirmed the reason, though concurrent Middle East commitments are the likely factor. These withdrawals reduce the exercise’s high-end maritime and air power contribution but do not affect the core land and Arctic operations.

On 16 March the defence ministers of Finland, Sweden and Norway issued a joint statement at the exercise site, highlighting substantial progress on NATO’s Forward Land Forces (FLF) Finland. Sweden is providing the core battlegroup, with the objective of achieving operational readiness before the NATO Summit in Ankara this summer.

Cold Response 26: NATO’s Largest Arctic Exercise Since the Cold War

NATO’s largest Arctic exercise since 2022 — 32,500 troops, 14 nations, submarine raids, carrier withdrawals, and Russian signalling. Full order of battle, interactive maps, strategic assessment, and 60+ primary sources. Last updated: 1 April 2026.

Großwald | European Defence IntelligenceGroßwald

STEADFAST FOXTROT 26 (17–26 Mar, Ulm, Germany) Sustainment, medical, and enablement wargame hosted by JSEC at Ulm. The 2026 iteration expanded on previous years by adding dedicated medical and sustainment wargames alongside the core enablement rehearsal, and for the first time fed directly into the iterative development of NATO's Reinforcement and Sustainment Network (RSN). Participants rehearsed challenging elements of a reinforcement-by-forces and sustainment operational plan, testing deployment sequencing across 32 allies under the New Force Model structure. Outcomes will feed into the current RSN operational plan ahead of 2027 live exercises.

NEPTUNE STRIKE 26-1 (25 Mar – 1 Apr, Western & Central Mediterranean) The first iteration of NATO's premier enhanced Vigilance Activity in 2026, led by STRIKFORNATO from Oeiras, Portugal. The exercise brought together the Spanish Navy's Juan Carlos I expeditionary strike group, the Italian Navy's Cavour carrier strike group, and — participating from the southeastern Mediterranean — the French Navy's Charles de Gaulle carrier strike group. Approximately 3,000 personnel, 15 ships, and 30 aircraft from 12 nations (Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, and the United States) conducted air and maritime strike operations across the Mediterranean, with air missions extending into continental Europe (Bulgaria, Poland, Romania) and the Black Sea. NATO ISR Force RQ-4D Global Hawks from Sigonella provided surveillance support. SACEUR Gen. Grynkewich visited STRIKFORNATO headquarters during execution. Notably, the exercise focused on NATO's southern and southeastern flanks rather than the originally anticipated multi-theatre North Atlantic/Baltic scope.

SEA SHIELD 26 (23 Mar – 3 Apr, Romania / Black Sea — completed) Romania-led multinational naval exercise bringing together approximately 2,500 personnel from 13 nations, with 48 ships, 64 combat vehicles, 10 aircraft, and 20 unmanned systems. Operations spanned maritime, riverine, aerial, land, and underwater domains across the Black Sea and Danube Delta. Romanian Naval Forces provided the core contribution, with frigates Regele Ferdinand and Mărăști and minehunter I. Ghiculescu; ground elements came from the 1st and 9th Mechanised Brigades and the Multinational Brigade South-East, with French and Spanish contingents. Part of Romania's extensive 2026 exercise programme.

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Upcoming

SWORD 26 / AURORA 26 / BALTOPS 26 (late Apr – May, High North / Baltic / Poland) The centrepiece of NATO's spring–summer 2026 calendar. Sword 26 is US Army Europe and Africa's rebranded and restructured successor to the DEFENDER series, announced by USAREUR-AF on 2 April. It incorporates three linked exercises — Saber Strike, Immediate Response, and Swift Response — and involves approximately 6,000 US troops and 9,500 allied personnel operating from distributed locations across the High North, Baltic region, and Poland. The explicit doctrinal shift is away from transatlantic reinforcement and toward using forces already stationed in theatre to test NATO's regional defence plans under the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative (EFDI). Gen. Christopher Donahue, commanding general USAREUR-AF, has framed the exercise around data and AI-enabled warfare at scale. Eight European countries participate, including Germany, Poland, Finland, Estonia, and Lithuania.

AURORA 26 runs in parallel as a Swedish Armed Forces–sponsored LIVEX — previously linked to DEFENDER-Europe 26, now linked to Sword 26 under the same Key Strategic Activity (KSA) framework within a Germany-led Consolidated Strategic Opportunity (CSO). It focuses on the maritime and air domains in the Baltic Sea region, with Gotland as a focus area for allied long-range weapon systems reinforcement and total-defence/civil-preparedness activities. Key activities include Reception, Staging, and Onward Movement (RSOM) of allied forces through Sweden and by sea lines of communication to Finland and the Baltic states, alongside Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD), targeting, and joint fires.

BALTOPS 26 is expected to follow the traditional June window and remains unconfirmed as to exact dates.

The cluster marks a clear rotation from DEFENDER-Europe 25's southern orientation to a Nordic-Baltic focus, and is the first practical test of the post-DEFENDER force-flow logic in theatre.

NEPTUNE STRIKE 26-2 (late Apr – May, Mediterranean + North Sea, adjacent activity in Baltic / Central-Eastern Europe / Black Sea) Per the NATO calendar last updated 23 March (reported by USNI on 2 April), Neptune Strike 26-2 will be led by the French CSG and an unidentified US carrier strike group. The French CSG was retasked from Cold Response 26 to the Eastern Mediterranean in early March and remained in theatre at the close of Neptune Strike 26-1, making its participation in 26-2 the most likely scenario. Faces the same carrier-availability constraints as 26-1. The Turkish Maritime Task Group (TCG Anadolu) is due to complete its current deployment by 23 April, which may limit its availability for a late-April iteration. If the Middle East crisis persists, STRIKFORNATO may need to lean more heavily on US carrier assets or adjust the phasing of both Neptune Strike iterations.

AFRICAN LION 26 (20 Apr – 8 May, Morocco / Tunisia / Ghana / Senegal)  AFRICOM's largest annual joint exercise, involving more than 10,000 personnel from over 30 nations. Led by U.S. Army SETAF-AF. The 2026 iteration places heavy emphasis on experimentation: over 40 technology vendors will field-test capabilities including robotic infantry and vehicle targets for live fire, AI decision-support systems, ground sensing, and FPV drone operations against moving armoured targets. Italian and French special operations units will partner with Tunisian counterparts for airborne operations, live-fire training, and joint targeting. C-130 dirt landing certification — rarely available in Europe — is a standout training opportunity. Exercise locations in Morocco include Agadir, Tan Tan, Taroudant, Kenitra, and Benguerir.

OPERATION FIRECREST (Apr onwards — timing uncertain) UK Carrier Strike Group deployment led by HMS Prince of Wales across the North Atlantic and High North, announced 14 February as a major contribution to NATO's Arctic Sentry mission and GIUK gap security. The CSG would include F-35B Lightning IIs, Type 45 and Type 23/26 escorts, and an Astute-class submarine, exercising alongside SNMG1 (UK-led via HMS Dragon) and cooperating with JFC Norfolk. A US port visit and cross-deck operations with USMC F-35s were planned. However, as of mid-March, HMS Prince of Wales has been placed on five days' notice to sail in response to the Middle East crisis, and the MoD confirmed to Parliament that it is still refining the specific escort composition with allies. The original Firecrest timeline is now in doubt. US participation is described as "especially uncertain."

LION PROTECTOR 26 (September, Iceland / Danish Straits / Norway) The signature 2026 exercise of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, confirmed by the UK Ministry of Defence on 11 February 2026 and reinforced by the JEF leaders' joint statement from the Helsinki summit on 26 March. Air, land, and naval forces from JEF nations — Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the UK — will deploy across Iceland, the Danish Straits, and Norway to train on the protection of critical national infrastructure against sabotage and attack, and to exercise joint command and control across the High North, North Atlantic, and Baltic approaches. Ukrainian units will participate under the JEF Enhanced Partnership framework agreed in Oslo last year. The exercise sits alongside the UK's doubling of its permanent troop presence in Norway (from 1,000 to 2,000 personnel over three years) and is framed by London as the JEF's principal contribution to the NATO Arctic Sentry posture. Exact dates within September have not yet been released.

Persistent Operations: The 'Sentry' Triad

A defining feature of NATO's 2026 posture is the simultaneous operation of three open-ended, multi-domain activities — distinct from calendar exercises and running without a stated end date:

ARCTIC SENTRY (launched 11 February 2026) — The newest addition, placing all allied Arctic activity under a single coordinated command for the first time. Led by JFC Norfolk, coordinating with NORAD, USNORTHCOM, and USEUCOM. Denmark's Arctic Endurance exercise and Cold Response 26 both operated under this umbrella. Born from the Davos Rutte-Trump framework on Greenland and NATO's stated concern over both Russia's increasing military activity and China's growing interest in the Arctic. The UK's Operation Firecrest — a Carrier Strike Group deployment to the North Atlantic and High North — was announced in February as a major Arctic Sentry contribution, but its timeline is now uncertain due to the Middle East crisis (see Firecrest entry above).

BALTIC SENTRY (launched 14 January 2025) — Enhancing NATO's maritime presence in the Baltic Sea, prompted by suspected Russian undersea sabotage of energy pipelines and communications cables. Incorporates naval surveillance drones, warships, submarines, and aircraft. In February 2026, eight Baltic-region allies signed a letter of intent to advance Task Force X-Baltic — NATO's autonomous maritime surveillance initiative — from experimental testing to nationally owned, NATO-taskable capabilities, a direct outgrowth of Baltic Sentry's operational requirements.

EASTERN SENTRY (launched 12 September 2025) — Bolstering NATO's air, land, and sea posture along the entire eastern flank, from the High North to the Black Sea. Triggered by Russian aircraft and drone incursions into allied airspace. Integrates traditional capabilities with counter-drone sensors and novel technologies. Contributions from Denmark, France, Germany, the UK, and others.

Key Insight: Until 2025, NATO demonstrated readiness through exercises — large-scale drills with fixed dates that began, ran, and ended. The three Sentries work differently: they are ongoing operations with no end date, keeping allied forces permanently deployed across the Baltic Sea, the eastern flank, and the Arctic simultaneously. NATO has not maintained this kind of continuous, multi-theatre military presence since the Cold War.

Regional & Domain Hot-Spots

Northern Flank & Arctic Security 

Cold Response 26 (9–19 March, completed) anchored the Arctic calendar under Arctic Sentry's umbrella, though its maritime and air components were reduced by the withdrawal of a US F-35 squadron from Ørland. Arctic Dolphin 26 (completed February) tested ASW in Norwegian fjords. Denmark's Arctic Endurance ran concurrently in and around Greenland. The UK's Operation Firecrest — a Carrier Strike Group deployment to the North Atlantic and High North — was announced in February as a major Arctic Sentry and JEF contribution, but its timeline remains uncertain due to the Middle East crisis; the MoD confirmed to Parliament that it is still refining the escort composition with allies. Lion Protector 26, the UK-led JEF exercise across Iceland, the Danish Straits, and Norway, is confirmed for September. The Nordic Arctic Challenge Exercise is biennial and is not running in 2026 (next iteration 2027).

Baltic & Nordic Deterrence 

Steadfast Dart 26 (January–March, completed) tested the ARF's rapid deployment into northern Germany. Sword 26 — the US Army's rebranded and restructured successor to the DEFENDER series, announced on 2 April and running late April through May — will dominate the spring–summer calendar with forces distributed across the High North, Baltic region, and Poland. Sweden's AURORA 26 and the annual BALTOPS 26 are linked to the same exercise window, giving the cluster a clear Nordic-Baltic centre of gravity. NAMEJS (Latvia) is expected to recur in September–October but is not yet confirmed for 2026; Thunder Storm's 2026 status is uncertain, as the Lithuanian Thunder series has been restructured in recent years around Thunder Fortress and Thunder Strike.

Black Sea & Southeastern Flank 

Dynamic Front 26 (February) tested multi-domain fires at Romania's Cincu. Sea Shield 26 (23 March – 3 April, completed) was the flagship Black Sea naval drill, led by the Romanian Armed Forces with approximately 2,500 personnel from 13 nations and significant French and Spanish contributions. Romania's broader 2026 programme includes Carpathian Arc 26 (MNC-SE led), DACIA 26 (linked to Steadfast Defender 27), Land Shield 26, and Burebista 26. Eastern Sentry continues to provide persistent air defence and surveillance from the High North to the Black Sea.

Mediterranean & North Africa

African Lion 26 (20 Apr–8 May) is firmed up across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal, with more than 10,000 personnel from over 20 nations now confirmed. The Mediterranean has already seen Dynamic Manta 26 (completed March), Dynamic Mariner 26 (completed March), and Neptune Strike 26-1 (25 Mar – 1 Apr, completed) — which brought together the Spanish Juan Carlos I ESG, Italian Cavour CSG, and French Charles de Gaulle CSG across the western and central Mediterranean with contributions from 12 nations. Neptune Strike 26-2 (late Apr – May) remains upcoming. Per the NATO calendar last updated 23 March, it will be led by the French CSG and a US carrier strike group; force composition remains dependent on Middle East commitments.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the biggest NATO exercise in 2026 so far? 

Cold Response 26 (9–19 March), with 32,500 personnel from 14 nations across Norway and Finland, was the largest NATO exercise of 2026 so far. Steadfast Dart 26 (2 Jan – 18 Mar) involved approximately 10,000 troops and 3,000 vehicles from 13 nations across Germany and the Baltic Sea.

What are the 'Sentry' operations? 

Baltic Sentry, Eastern Sentry, and Arctic Sentry are open-ended, multi-domain activities — not time-limited exercises. They provide persistent NATO presence and surveillance across the Baltic Sea, the eastern flank, and the Arctic respectively. Arctic Sentry, the newest, was launched on 11 February 2026.

Why isn't the full 2026 calendar published yet? 

NATO and SHAPE release exercise details incrementally. Winter and spring drills are typically confirmed first; summer and autumn exercises are announced as late as April or May. This guide is updated within 24 hours of any official confirmation.

Are these drills offensive in nature? 

NATO classifies all exercises and operations as defensive and deterrent, designed to protect allied territory under Article 5 and improve interoperability.

Is this guide still being updated? 

Yes — continuously. Bookmark this page. For alerts, follow Großwald on Linkedin or @grosswaldorg on X. Subscribe to the free Großwald newsletters, including daily Signal, weekly Curated, and ad-hoc Systems pieces.

Last updated: 13 April 2026

How to Track Late‑Breaking Changes

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3. Check NATO’s official newsroom and SHAPE for primary‑source press releases.

Further Reading

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