ABOARD HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH (AP) — Thousands of NATO troops, several warships and dozens of aircraft are taking part in military exercises stretching across the Atlantic and into the Black Sea region as tensions with Russia simmer. Steadfast Defender 21 is aimed at simulating the 30-nation military organization’s response to an attack on any one of its members. It will test NATO’s ability to deploy troops from America and keep supply lines open. Already in recent years, the United States and its allies have deployed troops and equipment in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to try to reassure those members neighboring Russia that their partners will ride to the rescue should they come under attack.
