UK Takes Rotating Command of NATO High Readiness Task Force

London has accepted the rotating command of NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The United Kingdom has taken over from Spain as commander of NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), putting 3,000 British soldiers on stand-by and ready to deploy within days, the UK defense chief said Wednesday.

"In heading up the VJTF, the UK is taking another leading position in NATO and is sending a clear message that Britain is stepping up to our global defense commitments," Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said.

The handover ceremony took place in the city of Gloucester in southwest England. The UK rapid-reaction force will be led by the 20th Armored Brigade with support from US, Danish, Spanish, Norwegian and Polish troops.

Leading the VJTF force is the first of UK activities aimed at increasing its leadership role in the NATO military bloc, the British government said. It will also send a battalion to Estonia in early 2017 and deploy a company to Poland.

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