Allies are practicing the support of NATO's eastern flank in an exercise in Poland. After a journey of several hundred kilometers, forces from the UK, Germany, and many other allies crossed the Vistula River and are now moving on to Eastern Poland.

The NATO exercise, Steadfast Defender 24, is the first of its kind the defense alliance has conducted since the end of the Cold War. It involves 90,000 soldiers, over a thousand tanks and armored vehicles, and over a hundred ships and aircraft.

The large-scale exercise began in January, initially practicing the movement of troops from the United States and Great Britain to Continental Europe. From there, these forces are practicing the fortification of the eastern flank, across Norway, Estonia, and Romania – essentially the entire extent of NATO's eastern flank. Currently, in the Polish exercise Dragon 24, the allies crossed the Vistula River.

"If we don't practice this, then we can't do it. This is how defense is practiced. Every obstacle – it's a pretty wide river, but it could also be a mountain range, or the Baltic Sea. It could be Estonian bogs and marshes – how do we cross them? We have to be sure that we are in the right place at the right time to defend every inch of allied territory," said Maj. Gen. Randolph Staudenraus from NATO's Joint Force Command Brunssum.

The question concerning crossing the Vistula River, which is over 300 meters wide, was clearly answered. Military engineers' ferries were used to transport tanks and armored vehicles from several different countries across the river. The first to reach the other side on a French ferry was a Polish tank, but following the Poles were the Germans, British, Spaniards, Americans, and even a Lithuanian armored vehicle.

A German infantry officer with the rank of captain, Alex, says they started their journey from 600 kilometers away in Germany. The large German unit covered the distance with all its equipment in three days.

"So far, everything has gone according to plan. Every time we do something like this, there are a few small things that could be done better, but overall everything went well, all the soldiers are healthy, happy, and most are looking forward to what happens next," said Alex.

This river crossing was done with flags waving; the Poles organized several flyovers by helicopters and fighters. In the eyes and cameras of hundreds of journalists from around the world, it looked like a parade. But this is also part of the goal. NATO is flexing its muscles – with the large-scale exercise, NATO tries to show that the promise to defend every inch is ironclad. This is the result of agreements made at the summits in Madrid and Vilnius.

One of the most important units currently practicing in Poland is the VJTF, or NATO's rapid response unit. Currently, it is led by the British, a brigade that earned the nickname "Desert Rats" during World War II. They still proudly carry the name, referring to victories in North Africa, and the Desert Rats' commander, Brig. Gen. Guy Foden, emphasizes that the rest of the exercise does not resemble a parade.

"The Desert Rats and the entire rapid response unit are currently doing hard work, living in the forests between trees, and fighting. We are doing our best to make the most of all NATO capabilities – Polish tanks, Spanish armored infantry and tanks, Turkish scouts. We bring all this together," said Foden.

The units that have crossed the river will now head to training grounds in Eastern Poland, where they can also practice with live ammunition and shells.

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