A joint military unit from Germany and the Netherlands will assume control of NATO ground forces in Estonia and Latvia later this year as part of efforts to reinforce the alliance’s eastern border defenses against possible Russian aggression, officials announced Thursday.
The 1 German-Netherlands Corps (1GNC), headquartered in Muenster, Germany, is scheduled to establish a tactical command center for NATO operations in the Baltic region by mid-2026. The alliance plans to officially approve this new command structure during the summer months.
Currently, NATO military units across all three Baltic countries and northern Poland operate under a single multinational command center located in Szczecin, Poland.
A military official explained to Reuters earlier this week that this reorganization would enable NATO to achieve “mass at speed,” helping to address the area’s limited geographic buffer zone and security weaknesses.
“The deployment of an additional tactical headquarters in the region strengthens coherence within NATO and contributes to Russia’s deterrence,” German and Dutch defense ministries declared in their joint announcement Thursday.
Dutch Defence Minister Dilan Yeşilgoz stated that 1GNC had “thoroughly prepared” for its upcoming responsibilities, referencing her visit to the corps facility in March.
This development stems from decisions made during the 2025 NATO summit in The Hague and expands upon the NATO Force Model established at the 2023 Vilnius summit, which focused on deploying additional forces with faster response capabilities.
