STDT is the largest NATO exercise this year which is due to run until late February 2025. The multi-domain operation, which includes 10,000 personnel, is designed to demonstrate the ability of NATO to deploy en masse across Europe rapidly and provide an effective deterrence against any adversary.
Being part of NATO I believe contributes to the collective defence and security of multiple nations to help make peace and stability within the world
Emphasising land and logistics capabilities, the exercise has been an important way to test, develop and verify the ARF alert process in times of crisis. The speed and the efficiency of the deployment has been one of the early successes of the operation. Convoys of vehicles, some travelling over 2000km by road, reached their destinations well within the 10-day maximum mandated by NATO for its Tier 1 forces in the ARF to deploy to NATO’s Eastern flank.
Craftsman Toby Vaughan, 30, a Vehicle Mechanic with 7 RLC LAD, part of the Land Component Command, says the successful move, which took eight and a half days in total, was down to good planning and preparation. He was one of a highly professional team which helped to ensure the successful deployment of over 120 vehicles including fuel tankers and water tankers, cargo vehicles able to carry loads varying from 6 to 15 tonnes, field ambulances and Land Rovers from the UK to Romania. In total, the convoy passed through five borders, driving around 2100km, in less than 10 days and reached Bucharest without incident.
Back in mid-January, the vehicles went by sea from Marchwood Port in the UK to Emden Port in Germany
and mechanics, drivers and support staff left Dover and drove to Emden to meet
them. Craftsman Vaughn stated "it was just a question of making sure the vehicles were ready for
their drive across Europe after their sea journey. My role is taking
responsibility for maintaining vehicles in good order and diagnosing and
repairing faults when we find them". Things were expected to go
smoothly because the mechanics had already spent three to four months preparing every
single vehicle for the journey, checking fault histories and
ensuring that the vehicles were full serviced and up to date with the
maintenance schedules.
A key asset which ensures the smooth running of the deployment is 102 Operational Sustainment Brigade (the Logistic Support Group - LSG) which is responsible for planning and executing the Reception, Staging, Onward Movement, and Integration of all units crossing Europe to Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece and subsequently coordinating the operational sustainment of the Joint force. “We have definitely benefited from their expertise and we are all really proud that we achieved our aim of getting the vehicles and equipment from the UK to Romania in less than 10 days without any major issues. It was a big success all round and we were very happy with the result,” says Craftsman Vaughan.
Integrating the multinational force is another priority in EX STDT25 and the LCC has already established its forward command post in Bucharest and is integrating with the ARF Corps HQ (NRDC-Italy) and the Romanian Joint Forces Command. Deployed forces are now taking part in a range of integration training to build their readiness to respond to a range of tasks whenever required by NATO. A series of live fire exercises will take place on training areas in Romania with multinational battle groups to demonstrate interoperability and multi-domain capabilities.
Medical teams from the UK’s 3 Medical Regiment are an essential part of the exercise preparing to take part in battlefield simulations and rehearsals, alongside their colleagues from other NATO allies. Staff Sergeant Hollie Gowdy, a Registered Nurse who is part of a Pre hospital Treatment Team (PHTT) attached to 4 SCOTS Brigade, is taking part in Treat to Train, which means training and testing skills while responding to any real-life support as required.
“My role as part of the PHTT, which is a clinic in a 12 ft x 12 ft tent set up around 2km from the front line, is to help set up and deliver care along with doctors and Combat Medical Technicians as well as drivers who are not medically trained.
The PHTT contains tables, stretcher and medical kit and is designed to provide a suitable space to deal with casualties in the first instance before they can be sent to hospitals further back. These may be military personnel or civilians who have been caught up in the situation. “Of course, STDT25 is an exercise, and we are practising our skills, but we can definitely do this for real if needed,” says SSgt Gowdy, who adds she is proud to be part of NATO’s Allied Reaction Force. “Being part of NATO I believe contributes to the collective defence and security of multiple nations to help make peace and stability within the world.”
At the conclusion of EX STDT 25, the ARF HQ and LCC HQ will take part in a Romanian DACIA CPX and ARF forces will prepare to return to their home bases in the UK and elsewhere.