NATO Forward Forces Tracker

In the lead-up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and particularly since the outbreak of hostilities, the United States and NATO allies have taken numerous steps to bolster allied force posture in Eastern Europe, enhancing deterrence against further Russian aggression and demonstrating the Alliance’s ability to defend its eastern flank. The Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security’s Transatlantic Security Initiative has been tracking it all, as visualized in the animation, graphs, and table below.

Our tracker represents our best understanding of posture adjustments and new deployments by NATO allies based on publicly available information. Exact numbers of forces and capabilities that have been deployed may differ from public statements, and we recognize that details of some deployments—and, potentially, additional deployments themselves—have not been announced publicly for reasons of operational security.

For more on the new strategic context NATO now faces along with principles and recommendations for strengthening the Alliance’s deterrence posture, check out our latest issue brief on these subjects.

Additional NATO forces deployed to Eastern Europe from February to April 2022

The pre-buildup baseline: A breakdown of NATO forward force deployments in Eastern Europe before February 2022