Show of force: 5,000 NATO troops and Article 5; "Target: Vladimir Putin's Russia"

In what the alliance has called a “show of force,” two French Puma helicopters descended from the clouds, flying low over the hills as tanks and howitzers took up positions, while combat aircraft and drones patrolled the skies.

“The main objective of the scenario is deterrence,” said Major General Dorin Toma, commander of NATO’s Multinational Division Southeast. The target of that message is no secret: Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

The exercise was part of the annual drill known as Dacian Fall, but this year’s edition—which concluded on Thursday—carried extra significance. As part of NATO’s push to strengthen its eastern flank, it comes just weeks after Washington announced it would significantly reduce the number of U.S. troops in Romania—even as European defense and intelligence officials warn that Moscow could test the alliance’s resolve in the coming years.

Romania, which borders Ukraine, Moldova, and the Black Sea, is home to several NATO bases. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it has hosted a multinational NATO battle group led by France, with participation from Spain, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

In November, the Pentagon announced that it would withdraw an infantry brigade of around 800 troops from Romania to Kentucky, as the U.S. military shifts its focus to domestic priorities such as border security and the Indo-Pacific region. About 1,000 U.S. troops will remain in the country under a bilateral defense agreement between Washington and Bucharest.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, senior Romanian officials, and the Trump administration downplayed the implications of the decision. However, Romanian Secretary of Defense Sorin Moldova recently told Politico that the U.S. should “reverse” the withdrawal.

The reduction in U.S. troops is not expected to have a military impact—“For the guys in the trenches, it’s nothing special,” a senior Romanian military officer told Politico—but as a political symbol, some worry it could embolden Putin to test his luck. Earlier this week, the remains of a Russian drone targeting Ukraine landed on Romanian soil, the latest in a series of similar incidents.

“The troop reduction will have limited operational implications,” said Anca Agachi, a political analyst at the RAND research institute.

“That is strategic signaling that the alliance should care about. Exercises like Dacian Fall need to send a deterrent message,” she said.

Military Mobility

The exercise was designed to demonstrate that NATO allies are ready to work together to strengthen the eastern flank—and to apply lessons from the war in Ukraine.

In response to Russian aggression, speed will be essential. In one of the largest deployments of the French military, Paris moved troops and equipment to Romania within 10 days. According to NATO requirements, France must be capable of deploying a combat-ready division to the eastern flank within 30 days by 2027.

“For the first time, we decided to use a ship. It took us two days to reach Greece, and then another two to three days to cross Bulgaria,” said General Maxime Do Tran, commander of the French armored brigade participating in the exercise. Other troops traveled via five aircraft, 11 trains, and about 15 convoys.

While movement by air, land, and sea was relatively smooth, “rail transport was a bit more difficult because in peacetime we did not have priority to cross the border,” Do Tran added. Next week, the European Commission is expected to present a proposal to facilitate the movement of military personnel and equipment.

On-site troops deployed equipment from across the alliance: German Eurofighters, Romanian F-16s, high-mobility artillery rocket launchers, Caesar self-propelled howitzers, and Mistral air defense systems.

And Drones. Lots of Drones.

“Dacian Fall is a very good platform for any nation to conduct experiments and test new equipment,” said Major General Toma. For the first time in a large-scale exercise, Romanian military officers tested Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones. Other unmanned aerial vehicles included reconnaissance drones providing targeting information for troops on the ground, as well as loitering “suicide” drones and FPV models widely used in Ukraine.

Filling the Gap

NATO officials wanted to emphasize that the U.S. has not abandoned the country. American troops provided air support for the exercise.

“We are here as a willing partner and will stand with Romania,” said U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Stroup.

However, the troop reduction means Romania will need its European allies to step up, said Oana Lungescu, former NATO spokesperson and senior associate at the Royal United Services Institute think tank. The U.S. decision is “an opportunity for France and other Europeans to consider how they can contribute to a greater presence and show that they are truly reinforcing,” she said.

Over the past three years, Paris and Bucharest have deepened military ties. Catherine Vautrin, the newly appointed French Minister of Armed Forces, visited Romania last month on one of her first foreign trips. But so far, Paris has not announced plans to increase its presence in Romania.

This shift is a moment of reckoning for Bucharest, which has long relied on U.S. support for its defense strategy. Romania has made significant investments in U.S. Patriot air defense systems, F-35 fighters, and Abrams tanks, consistently prioritizing its transatlantic partnership.

“Romania has focused on a strategic partnership with the U.S. for decades,” Lungescu emphasized. “It is also an opportunity to diversify in terms of deployment, training, and capabilities.”

On a cold November afternoon at the end of the exercise, the artillery smoke cleared, and the Transylvanian mountains fell silent. The French troops who crossed the continent to participate packed up and prepared to return home—for now.