NATO tells Europe to prepare for 'rapid deployment': Defence chiefs say roads, bridges and rail links must be improved in case tanks and heavy vehicles need to be quickly mobilised

  • NATO Secretary General said roads and rail across Europe need updating
  • Civilian infrastructure need to be strong enough to handle military equipment
  • Jens Stoltenberg said they need to be able to handle 'rapid deployment'
  • NATO is updating its command structure in the biggest upgrade since the Cold War
  • This follows Russia's recent 'West war games' in Belarus, criticised by NATO

NATO is urging countries across Europe to update their infrastructure to ensure that it is strong enough to handle a rapid deployment of troops and military vehicles.

Speaking ahead of a meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in Brussels today, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said it is vital that European roads, bridges and rail networks are able to carry tanks and heavy military equipment.

This is NATO's biggest upgrade to its command structure since the Cold War, and comes hot on the heels of Russia's recent 'war games' in Belarus. 

Prepare: Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called for the infrastructure update across Europe as NATO is set to overhaul its command structure for the first time since the Cold War

Prepare: Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called for the infrastructure update across Europe as NATO is set to overhaul its command structure for the first time since the Cold War

During a press conference in Brussels, Stoltenberg said NATO needs a command structure to ensure 'we have the right forces, in the right place, with the right equipment at the right time.'

He then added: 'This is not only about commands. We also need to ensure that roads and bridges are strong enough to take our largest vehicles, and that rail networks are equipped for the rapid deployment of tanks and heavy equipment.

'NATO has military requirements for civilian infrastructure and we need to update these to ensure that current military needs are taken into account. 

'But this is not a job for NATO alone. It requires close coordination across national governments and with the private sector. The European Union also has an important role to play. So NATO and the European Union must continue to work very closely on this vital issue.

Stoltenberg also said that all NATO nations need to be able to deal with cyber attacks 'as effectively as against attacks from land, sea or air.'

New on the job: British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, right, shaking hands with Turkish Minister of Defense, Nurettin Canikli

New on the job: British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, right, shaking hands with Turkish Minister of Defense, Nurettin Canikli

Discussion: Turkish Minister of Defense, Nurettin Canikli , second from right, and British Defence Secretary, Gavin Williamson, second from left, hold an inter-delegation meeting  after the NATO Defence Ministers Meeting in Brussels

Discussion: Turkish Minister of Defense, Nurettin Canikli , second from right, and British Defence Secretary, Gavin Williamson, second from left, hold an inter-delegation meeting after the NATO Defence Ministers Meeting in Brussels

This week's NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels will endorse the plan to create two new commands: one to protect sea lanes ferrying troops and equipment across the Atlantic, the other for land forces in Europe.

It's the first time NATO is expanding its command structure since the Cold War, and it comes just weeks after Russia's 'Zapad Games' - meaning 'West Games' in Russian - simulated an war with a fictional foreign power, widely assumed to be NATO.

When the ended in September, it was reported that the number of troops involved was much larger than Moscow had told international observers and closer to 100,000 than the reported 13,000.

In October, NATO accused Russia of misleading them, saying that Moscow had deliberately violated international rules of military drills.

Moscow's response was that NATO was stirring up anti-Russian propaganda.