The importance of the COVID-19 pandemic is not without a significant impact on the capabilities of NATO forces on the Eastern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance. The scale of that phenomenon was noticeable in in regard to the modification of the scenario and orgnisation of the largest exercise in the Alliance planned for 2020, i.e. DEFENDER-Europe 2020. In this commentary the author aims to answer the question, how much the pandemic influenced the implementation of the exercise itself, what impact may it have on the Alliance's real capabilities and what consequences may this situation have for Poland's security.
KBN Commentary no. 13 (8) / 2020
4 May 2020
The importance of the COVID-19 pandemic is not without a significant impact on the capabilities of NATO forces on the Eastern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance. The scale of that phenomenon was noticeable in in regard to the modification of the scenario and orgnisation of the largest exercise in the Alliance planned for 2020, i.e. DEFENDER-Europe 2020. In this commentary the author aims to answer the question, how much the pandemic influenced the implementation of the exercise itself, what impact may it have on the Alliance's real capabilities and what consequences may this situation have for Poland's security.
Photo credit: Polish Armed Forces, https://www.wojsko-polskie.pl/defender-europe-20/