NATO update

Canadian and Slovenian soldiers swap rations Every army in NATO has its own field ration, commonly known as MREs (meals-ready-to-eat). While perhaps not the height of culinary expression, these rations give soldiers the calories they need to power through a hard day in the field. From Ally to Ally, their contents differ in small, interesting ways. Watch a Canadian and Slovenian soldier swap their ration packs at NATO’s multinational battlegroup in Latvia. There’s a lot of beef on the menu, from jerky to goulash and ravioli, with some Tabasco sauce on offer for that extra heat! The multinational battlegroup in Latvia is led by Canada and has troops from 10 other Allied countries, including Albania, Czechia, Iceland, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. Our participants are Canadian Army Master Corporal Michael Vernon and Slovenian Army Private Teja Tropan. Click here to download the video.  You can also watch the video on YouTube. Lithuania trains with other NATO Allies in Exercise “Engineer Thunder 2023” Organised and hosted by the Lithuanian Army’s Colonel Juozas Vitkus Engineer Battalion, the multinational engineering exercise Engineer Thunder 23 featured over 1,000 troops from 11 NATO countries training together at the Pabrade training grounds in Lithuania. Combat engineers performed roadblocks, the undertaking of protection measures from the use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, the safe removal of explosive and non-explosive obstacles and other engineering support activities. The exercise ran from 4 until 14 September 2023. Participating countries were Belgium, Czechia, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Click here to download the b-roll. Footage shows mine clearing line charges being used to clear a simulated minefield and troops working together to advance across open ground.

15 September 2023 Update Deputy Secretary General welcomes NATO’s deepening partnership with Moldova From 14 to 15 September 2023, NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană visited Chişinău to discuss NATO’s deepening partnership with the Republic of Moldova. READ MORE NATO surveillance drone conducts first mission over Finland On 13 September 2023, a NATO surveillance drone concluded a flight over Finland, the Alliance’s newest member. The unmanned aircraft, travelling at high altitudes above Allies’ territories and in international airspace, collected data for Allies to support their collective deterrence and defence. READ MORE NATO navies hold annual Northern Coasts collective defence exercise in the Baltic Sea Some 30 warships and 3,200 personnel from 14 nations participate in the annual two-week naval exercise Northern Coasts, which started on 9 September 2023 in the Baltic Sea, primarily off the coasts of Estonia and Latvia. READ MORE Meet NATO’s beekeeper, Bruno Harmant "When I open the beehive, it makes me feel connected to nature," explains Bruno Harmant, beekeeper at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Few would expect to see an apiary at the offices of a political-military organisation like NATO, but since 2020, beehives have become an integral part of a wider ‘greening’ initiative at the Brussels headquarters. READ MORE NATO hosts Colombian War College visit On 8 September 2023, the NATO International Military Staff, under the auspices of its Cooperative Security Division, welcomed a group of students from the Colombian War College to NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. READ MORE NATO’s mountain warfare specialists Mountainous terrain is often difficult to access. But it can also be where critical infrastructure, such as pylons, pipelines and tunnels, is found. Being able to access and protect that infrastructure could be vital in a wartime scenario. WATCH VIDEO THIS WEEK IN PICTURES

NATO HQ, Blvd Leopold III 1110 Brussels, Belgium

Press Release 15 September 2023

NATO Secretary General to visit the United States - 18-21 September 2023 The NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will travel to New York from Monday 18 September through Thursday 21 September 2023 to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). On Tuesday 19 September, the Secretary General will participate in the opening of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. He will also have meetings with world leaders and high-level officials On Thursday 21 September, the Secretary General will participate in a discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations. He will also attend the Transatlantic Dinner hosted by the Secretary of State of the United States, Mr. Antony J. Blinken. Media coverage A transcript of the Secretary General’s remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations, as well as photographs, will be available on the NATO website. For general queries:  Contact the NATO Press Office