A combined German-Dutch army corps will take command of NATO land forces in Estonia and Latvia later this year to strengthen the alliance's eastern flank against a potential Russian attack.
The 1 German-Netherlands Corps (1GNC), based in Muenster, Germany, will become a tactical headquarters for NATO in the region by mid-2026, with the alliance set to formalize the new structure this summer.
Currently, NATO forces in the three Baltic nations and northern Poland are under the command of a single multinational headquarters in Szczecin, Poland. The new structure is designed to facilitate the rapid deployment of forces and allow NATO to bring in "mass at speed," addressing the region's vulnerability and limited strategic depth in the event of a war with Russia.
German and Dutch defence ministries stated that the additional tactical headquarters strengthens coherence within NATO and contributes to the deterrence of Russia. Dutch Defence Minister Dilan Yeşilgoz noted that the 1GNC has thoroughly prepared for its new role. The move follows agreements from the 2025 NATO summit in The Hague and builds on the NATO Force Model introduced at the 2023 Vilnius summit, which aimed to deploy more forces within shorter response times.