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World

NATO conducts 1st drill to test new rapid response force created to face Russian challenges

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    Czech Republic's soldiers from the 43rd airborne battalion take part in the NATO drill "The Noble Jump" at the airport in Chrudim, Czech Republic, Thursday, April 9, 2015. NATO is completing an initial exercise and first testing of its new rapid response force that has been created to face new challenges from Russia. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) (The Associated Press)

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    Czech Republic's soldiers from the 43rd airborne battalion take part in the NATO drill "The Noble Jump" at the airport in Pardubice, Czech Republic, Thursday, April 9, 2015. NATO is completing an initial exercise and first testing of its new rapid response force that has been created to face new challenges from Russia. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) (The Associated Press)

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    Czech Republic's soldiers from the 43rd airborne battalion line up to board an aircraft during the NATO drill "The Noble Jump" at the airport in Pardubice, Czech Republic, Thursday, April 9, 2015. NATO is completing an initial exercise and first testing of its new rapid response force that has been created to face new challenges from Russia. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) (The Associated Press)

CHRUDIM, Czech Republic – NATO is completing a first testing of its new force created to face new challenges from Russia.

Some 150 soldiers from the Czech army's 43rd airborne battalion have been training to be ready for deployment within 48 hours "as NATO reevaluates the risks," Maj. Gen. Jiri Baloun said Thursday. The previous NATO standard times for that were between 10 and 80 days, Baloun said.

In the Netherlands, 900 German and 200 Dutch soldiers have been doing the same. The units will be moved for further trials to Poland in June while some 25,000 NATO troops will complete the exercise of the new force in Italy, Portugal and Spain in October and November.

The units belong to NATO's new Very High Readiness Joint Task Force.