Romania will be an essential part in NATO’s new collective defence in south-eastern Europe.

NATO Defence Ministers decided to immediately establish six command and control units in Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania.

“If a crisis arises, they will ensure that national and NATO forces from across the Alliance can act as one from the start. They will make rapid deployment easier. Support planning for collective defence. And help coordinate training and exercises,” said the NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Romania will also host a new deployable Multinational Division Headquarters for the southeast. Poland will have a similar center for the northeast.

The two NATO units in Romania will be ready in 2016. Romanian soldiers and troops from other member states will work there.

“The measures approved today for Romania are crucial for reassuring NATO and EU’s eastern flank. These multinational NATO control and command units represent the fruition of the decision taken in the 2014 summit related to a visible and lasting NATO presence in allied countries,” said Romanian Defense Minister Mircea Dusa.

Defence Ministers also decided to enhance the NATO Response Force, whose centrepiece will be a Spearhead Force of around 5,000 troops. “These will be supported by air, sea and special forces. The lead element of this land brigade will be ready to move within as little as 48 hours, with the rest deploying within a week. The Spearhead Force will be backed up by two more brigades - as a rapid reinforcement capability in case of a major crisis,” Stoltenberg explained.

Altogether, the enhanced NATO Response Force will count up to around 30,000 troops.

Six NATO members will act as framework nations for the new Spearhead Force, in rotation. These are France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom.

editor@romania-insider.com