STAVANGER, Norway – Exercise STEADFAST DAGGER 2025 has concluded after testing the next rotation of NATO’s Allied Reaction Force across a wide range of crisis response missions. Scheduled by Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, conducted by Allied Joint Force Command Naples, and directed by NATO’s Joint Warfare Centre, the exercise brought together personnel from multiple NATO nations to refine readiness, interoperability, and joint warfighting cohesion.
STEADFAST DAGGER is NATO’s capstone exercise for the Allied Reaction Force. Throughout the exercise, training audiences confronted crisis scenarios outside NATO’s traditional area of responsibility. These scenarios challenged staffs to synchronize activity across land, maritime, air, special operations, cyber, space, and logistics components. This approach reflects NATO’s efforts to prepare the Allied Reaction Force for rapid employment in complex and multi-domain environments.
Led by NATO Rapid Deployable Corps Italy, the Allied Reaction Force is a core part of the NATO New Force Model and supports the implementation of the Concept for Deterrence and Defence of the Euro Atlantic area. It is a high readiness joint force able to deploy rapidly when directed by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe. STEADFAST DAGGER prepares the next rotation and provides a venue to test new concepts that advance NATO’s ongoing transformation.
First is the certification of the Allied Reaction Force and its components in the achievement of multi-domain operations outside of SACEUR’s area of responsibility. Second, experimentation and warfare development, which includes incorporating lessons identified from Ukraine, increased realism and dynamism to react to the needs of the Allied Reaction Force and its components, and the advancement of command-and-control platforms such as SitaWare and MAVEN. Third, we strengthened our relationships with NATO’s partners, through their attendance and participation in a wargame. All of this results in an increase in the Alliance’s and the Allied Reaction Force’s readiness profile. Overall, we have strengthened Allied capabilities and partnerships.
Major General Ruprecht von Butler
Commander Joint Warfare Centre
and the Officer Directing the Exercise
Training a High Readiness Joint Force
STEADFAST DAGGER supported training for land, maritime, air, special operations, and logistics elements assigned to the 2026 rotation of the Allied Reaction Force. Key training audiences included the French 3rd Division as the land component command, the French Joint Force Air Component Command, the United Kingdom Strike Force as the maritime component command, the United Kingdom Special Operations Component Command, and the French Joint Logistics Support Group. All played a central role in rehearsing rapid integration and multi-domain coordination.
These commands were required to confront realistic operational challenges such as dispersed threats, contested communications, and complex civil military interactions. The application of next generation command and control tools was an important part of this year’s training design.
Advancing NATO Transformation
As Allied Command Transformation’s training focal point, the Joint Warfare Centre used STEADFAST DAGGER to strengthen NATO warfare development and accelerate transformation. The exercise incorporated evolving concepts such as multi-domain effects integration, whole-of-government cooperation, and advanced decision support tools. It also encouraged participating commands to test new staff processes, validate procedures, and identify opportunities for improvement.
This work supports Allied Command Transformation’s mandate to prepare the Alliance for future challenges. Through exercises like STEADFAST DAGGER, the Alliance adapts its operational approach to match a rapidly changing security environment.
Collaboration Across the Alliance
Nearly 1200 military and civilian personnel participated in the exercise. Many served within Exercise Control teams at the Joint Warfare Centre, representing NATO Command and Force Structure headquarters, NATO Centres of Excellence, national commands, and partners. Their input helped ensure that the training environment accurately reflected real operational pressures.
Exercise STEADFAST DAGGER 2025 has been designed and delivered under the Audacious Training principles of ‘Train to Operate, Train to Deter, and Train to Win.’ Lessons from the Ukraine conflict have been incorporated, and the JWC method of delivery is a hybrid of a scripted plan and dynamic injects, enabling Exercise Control to react and counter-react to the ARFs actions.
Colonel Kevin Rafferty
JWC’s Deputy Chief of Staff Exercises, Training and Innovation
and Chief of the Exercise Control
Strengthening Deterrence and Defence
The out-of-area design of STEADFAST DAGGER reflects NATO’s 360-degree approach to security. Preparing the Allied Reaction Force for crises beyond the Euro-Atlantic region strengthens the Alliance’s ability to address threats wherever they arise and to protect the security of NATO nations.
The lessons identified during STEADFAST DAGGER will feed directly into NATO warfare development. They will inform updates to concepts, doctrine, planning approaches, and the continued evolution of the Allied Reaction Force. This process strengthens the Alliance’s ability to act decisively under the command of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
Next up
As STEADFAST DAGGER 2025 concludes, Allied Command Transformation and the Joint Warfare Centre will lead a structured analysis phase. This will include data collection, senior leader reflections, and a formal lessons report. These products will help prepare the 2026 rotation of the Allied Reaction Force for real world challenges and will contribute to the continued modernization of NATO’s operational capabilities.
The Joint Warfare Centre will now begin preparations for upcoming exercises in the STEADFAST series, further strengthening NATO’s readiness and delivering realistic, demanding, and transformational training for the Alliance.
