UK to send 20,000 troops to NATO war games --The British military will send a large contingent to one of the bloc’s biggest drills since the end of the Cold War | 15 Jan 2024 | The UK is set to deploy around 20,000 service members - as well as modern warships and fighter jets - to take part in major NATO war games amid rising tensions with Russia, the Defence Ministry in London has announced. In a statement on Monday, the ministry, citing excerpts from a speech to be delivered by Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, said that some 16,000 army troops - along with tanks, artillery, and helicopters - will join other bloc members on the continent to participate in Exercise Steadfast Defender 24, scheduled to take place in the first half of this year. The effort will be supported by eight warships and submarines, as well as 2,000 Royal Navy sailors. The UK will also deploy a number of aircraft, including F35B Lightning fighters and Poseidon P8 surveillance aircraft, the ministry said.