The operation, called Exercise Hedgehog, starts next month. The British forces will join 18,000 NATO troops on the Estonian-Latvian border, while 1,000 troops have been sent to Poland as part of Exercise Defender. Another 2,500 paratroopers have been sent to northern Macedonia to respond to Swift. Lt. Gen. Ralph Wooddisse, one of the top commanders in the British Army, said: “The United Kingdom is making a significant contribution to the defense of Europe and to the suppression of Russian aggression.” He added that the magnitude of the growth “will prevent aggression on a scale not seen in Europe this century”. Mr Wallace said: “Europe’s security has never been more important. “These exercises will see our troops join forces… in a show of solidarity and strength in one of the greatest joint developments since the Cold War.” In a further message to the Kremlin, nuclear-powered attack submarines from the United Kingdom, the United States and France have anchored at Britain’s Faslane naval base in Clyde, where the United Kingdom’s strategic deterrent is located. Earlier this week, the Royal Navy-class HMS Audacious was spotted loading Tomahawk missiles at a naval facility in Gibraltar. It is understood that all submarines are preparing to take part in naval exercises in the North Atlantic, which are expected to begin in the coming days.
