24 July 2026 – On 24 July 2026, the Deputy Commander of the Allied Reaction Force (ARF), Major General Dominic Biddick, concluded a four-day engagement visit to Albania, Montenegro and the Republic of North Macedonia, reinforcing cooperation with Allied Host nations ahead of Steadfast Dart, a major ARF Mission Rehearsal.

The visit provided an opportunity to engage with senior military leaders and strengthen coordination in preparation for one of NATO and the ARF's key deployments. Discussions focused on Host Nation Support, deployment planning, force integration and force protection throughout the deployment to execute multi-national and multi-domain operations.

During the visit, Major General Biddick met Lieutenant General Arben Kingji, Chief of the General Staff of the Albanian Armed Forces, Navy Captain Goran Durkovic, Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Operations of Montenegro, and Major General Azim Nuredin, Deputy Chief of the Army General Staff of the Republic of North Macedonia.

The Mission Rehearsal activities will bring together the ARF Headquarters and its recently assigned Component Commands — including the Land, Maritime, Air, Special Operations, Cyber, Space and Joint Logistic Support Group components — which officially assumed their roles on 1 July 2026. The activities will strengthen command relationships, validate operational plans and procedures, and enhance multi-national integration in preparation for future missions.

Throughout the engagements, the Deputy Commander underlined the essential role of Allied Host Nations in enabling the rapid deployment, force protection and effective integration of NATO forces. Coordination, shared planning and close military cooperation in peacetime remain fundamental to ensuring NATO's readiness to react rapidly and defend in crisis or conflict.

Innovation also featured prominently in the discussions. As military operations continue to evolve, the ARF and its Component Commands remain committed to embracing digital transformation and emerging technologies to enhance decision-making, interoperability and operational effectiveness.

"The strength of the Allied Reaction Force lies not only in its potent multi-domain capabilities, but in its ability to deploy rapidly to deter or defend any Allied nation in a time of crisis," said Major General Biddick. "Major Mission Rehearsals like Steadfast Dart build the trust and vital integration between Allies in peacetime that delivers our essential readiness for collective defence."

The visit reaffirmed the shared commitment of the ARF, its Component Commands and the Allied Host Nations to strengthening cooperation, enhancing interoperability and delivering credible, responsive and multi-domain capabilities in support of NATO's collective defence.