NATO Launches SWORD 26 Exercise Series Across Eight Nations to Test Eastern Flank Defense

US Army Europe and Africa launched the SWORD 26 multinational exercise series with approximately 6,000 US troops and 9,500 allied personnel across Finland, Sweden, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Norway, Germany, and Italy. The exercise tests NATO's Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative using forces already stationed in theater, a shift from prior Defender exercises that practiced transatlantic deployment. SWORD 26 evaluates AI-enabled command and control, multidomain operations, and counter-drone capabilities through three linked exercises: Saber Strike, Immediate Response, and Swift Response.