Brunssum, the Netherlands – As Exercise Swift Response 25 draws to a successful close, Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFCBS) highlights the importance of this large-scale multinational training event in reinforcing NATO’s collective defence posture. Conducted under the umbrella of DEFENDER-Europe 25 and as a key component of the NATO exercise cluster Griffin Lightning 25, Swift Response 25 has showcased the Alliance’s ability to conduct high-readiness operations across the strategically vital High North and Baltic regions.
Spanning from 11 to 31 May, the exercise has involved five nearly simultaneous airborne insertions and complex joint operations across Norway, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, and Finland. Airborne forces conducted rapid deployments alongside HIRAIN (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System Rapid Infiltration) training, integrated live-fire drills, and the activation of a fully operational multinational field hospital. These activities
were conducted across diverse and challenging terrain, reflecting the growing operational emphasis on the Arctic and northern Europe.
Swift Response 25 has demonstrated the expansion of critical battlefield capabilities across multiple domains, supported by advanced technologies aligned with the U.S. Army Modernization Strategy and the Department of Defense Arctic Strategy. The exercise also reinforced the ability of NATO forces to operate with speed and cohesion, maintaining seamless interoperability across national commands and systems.
For JFC Brunssum, which holds operational responsibility for NATO’s northern and eastern flank, Swift Response 25 provided a timely and essential opportunity to train under the Alliance’s new family of defence plans. These plans, approved by NATO Heads of State and Government in recent summits, represent a fundamental shift in NATO’s posture—from deterrence by presence to deterrence by defence—requiring
larger, more complex, and geographically distributed exercises.
Within the broader Griffin Lightning 25 exercise cluster, Swift Response served to validate key aspects of NATO’s warfighting readiness, including strategic deployment, multinational command and control, and integrated medical support. Its execution demonstrated the Alliance’s determination to defend its territory and values with speed, unity, and resolve.
In the context of heightened geopolitical tension and growing strategic competition in the High North, exercises like Swift Response 25 remain essential to testing and reinforcing the Alliance’s ability to deter and, if necessary, defend. The training conducted over the past weeks reflects a deepening of multinational cooperation and a shared commitment to NATO’s principles of collective defence and operational adaptability.
