British Troops Lead Land Forces During NATO Exercise Steadfast Dart In Romania

SMARDAN, ROMANIA - FEBRUARY 17: British soldiers practice retreat under fire during an exercise on February 17, 2025 in Smardan, Romania. The UK's 1st Division is commanding land forces during Exercise Steadfast Dart, as NATO Allied Reaction Force (ARF) training continues in Romania. The ARF was established in July 2024 amid a restructuring of the Alliance's high-readiness forces, with the capability of rapidly reinforcing NATO's eastern flank. The exercise includes 10,000 service personnel from nine nations, carried out across Romania, Greece, and Bulgaria during January and February. Steadfast Dart marks the first full-scale operational deployment of ARF, and this week coincides with the third anniversary of Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. (Photo by Andrei Pungovschi/Getty Images)