NATO Multinational Battlegroups / About / Present Structure
Present Structure
NATO’s military presence in the eastern part of the Alliance is a key part of its strengthened deterrence and defence posture, which has been enhanced in recent years to reflect the new security reality in the Euro-Atlantic area. Russia’s illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea in 2014 and full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have fundamentally changed the security environment in Europe, and NATO has responded by significantly strengthening its readiness to protect and defend all Allies. The forward presence of Allied forces is defensive, proportionate, transparent and in line with the Alliance’s international commitments and obligations. It represents a significant commitment by Allies and is a tangible reminder that an attack on one NATO Ally is an attack on all.
NATO’s forward presence comprises eight Forward Land Forces (FLF) multinational battlegroups, provided by framework nations and other contributing Allies on a voluntary, fully sustainable and rotational basis. The battlegroups operate in concert with national home defence forces and are present at all times in the host countries. All eight battlegroups are fully combat-capable formations.
The battlegroups are not identical; their sizes and compositions are tailored to specific geographic factors and threats. Overall, military requirements guide each battlegroup’s composition.
Today, troops and personnel from NATO Allies serve, train and exercise together in the east of the Alliance, representing a strong expression of unity and solidarity. Forces from contributing nations rotate in and out of the battlegroups; at any given time, they may be deployed to the battlegroups or stationed in their home countries with the ability to deploy rapidly, if needed.
As of February 2025, the eight battlegroups are composed of the following Allies:
Host nation: Bulgaria
Framework nation: Italy
Contributing nations: Albania, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Türkiye and the United States
Host nation: Estonia
Framework nation: United Kingdom
Contributing nations: France
Host nation: Hungary
Framework nation: Hungary
Contributing nations: Croatia, Italy, Türkiye and the United States
Host nation: Latvia
Framework nation: Canada
Contributing nations: Albania, Czechia, Iceland, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden
Host nation: Lithuania
Framework nation: Germany
Contributing nations: Belgium, Czechia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway
Host nation: Poland
Framework nation: United States
Contributing nations: Croatia, Romania and the United Kingdom
Host nation: Romania
Framework nation: France
Contributing nations: Belgium, Luxembourg and Poland
Host nation: Slovakia
Framework nation: Spain
Contributing nations: Czechia, Portugal and Slovenia
All eight battlegroups are integrated into NATO’s command structure to ensure the necessary readiness and responsiveness.
The four northeastern battlegroups (in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland) are under NATO command through the Multinational Corps Northeast Headquarters in Szczecin, Poland. Two division-level headquarters coordinate training and preparation activities of their respective battlegroups. Multinational Division Northeast Headquarters located in Elblag, Poland has been fully operational since December 2018. This headquarters works closely with the battlegroups in Poland and Lithuania. A complementary Multinational Division North Headquarters was activated by NATO in October 2020 and has since reached full operational capability. Its forward elements are located in Adazi, Latvia, while the rest of the headquarters is located in Karup, Denmark. This headquarters cooperates closely with the battlegroups in Estonia and Latvia.
Regionally focused headquarters contribute to the operation of the four other battlegroups. This includes Multinational Division Centre Headquarters in Székesfehérvár, Hungary (for the battlegroups in Hungary and Slovakia) and Multinational Division Southeast Headquarters in Bucharest, Romania (for the battlegroups in Bulgaria and Romania).
In addition, many activities undertaken by Allies nationally – while not formally part of NATO’s forward presence – also contribute to increased Allied activity in the eastern part of the Alliance.