Germany and the Netherlands assume new NATO command role on Baltic front

A German-Dutch military corps will assume a command role on NATO’s eastern flank, specifically in Estonia and Latvia, the two countries’ Defense Ministries announced on Thursday.

The deployment of an additional tactical headquarters to the region this summer will strengthen NATO cohesion and support “the deterrence of Russia,” the German and Dutch ministries said in a joint statement, reaffirming their commitment to defending NATO’s eastern flank.

NATO is expected to formalize the expanded role of the 1st German-Netherlands Corps (1GNC) this summer. The binational, high-readiness contingent can deploy rapidly and command land operations. Under the new arrangement, it will assume command and control of NATO and national land units stationed in Estonia and Latvia, directing exercises and other preparations and, in a crisis, coordinating the defense of the eastern flank.

“With the integration of the German-Netherlands Corps into NATO’s defense plans, both nations are assuming further responsibility for the security of Europe,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in a statement. “We are committed to our role; with this Corps we are providing a success story of multinational cooperation,” he said.

Based in Munster, Germany, the 1GNC headquarters can command an international force of about 50,000 personnel during crises and conflicts. In addition to Germany and the Netherlands, more than a dozen other NATO allies currently contribute staff to the headquarters.

The corps headquarters was previously deployed in Afghanstan in 2003, 2009 and 2013 in support of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Between 2005 and 2024, it remained on standby for the NATO Response Force for seven one-year periods.