Thousands of UK soldiers to go on standby as leaders of Nato’s first line of defence in 2024

One of the UK’s most prestigious brigades will operate as the core response unit for Nato next year

The UK’s 7th Light Mechanised Brigade, known as the Desert Rats, will be at the core of the unit (MoD)

Thousands of UK soldiers will go on standby from next year as a first response unit against threats to members of Nato, the Ministry of Defence has announced.

The alliance’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), created after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and which took on renewed importance following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, acts as Nato’s first line of defence against hostile forces.

Germany had been leading the reaction force but will hand over to the UK on 1 January 2024. The role is rotated every year among Nato members.

The UK’s 7th Light Mechanised Brigade, known as the Desert Rats, will be at the core of this 6,000-person responsive unit.

The brigade consists of a light cavalry regiment, four light mechanised infantry battalions and a light infantry battalion.

Nato spokesperson Dylan White said the brigade will need to be available within days to mobilise against hostile actors.

It will be the first time the VJTF will oversee a Nato border with Russia, after Finland joined the alliance in April.

Their membership more than doubled the border with Russia from 754 miles to 1,584 miles.

Over the past few months, Finland has been forced to shut its 830-mile border with Russia after accusing the Kremlin of driving migrants to the border to sow discord as payback for opting for membership of the alliance.

Finland closed its 830-mile border with Russia last month (Lehtikuva)

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine also shows no signs of abating as Ukraine’s top general, Valery Zaluzhny, warned that Moscow planned to raze whole cities to the ground.

The US remains the military backbone of the alliance but, with the prospect of Nato-sceptic Donald Trump returning to the White House in November, the UK defence secretary Grant Shapps said it was vital that Britain continues to show a leading role.

“The UK is at the heart of Nato,” Mr Shapps said in a statement.  “By heading up Nato’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force in 2024, we are taking another leading position in the alliance, sending a clear message that Britain is stepping up to our global defence commitments as Nato enters its 75th year.

“The UK’s armed forces stand ready, at a moment’s notice, to defend our allies and protect the British national interest.

“The world is a more dangerous and contested place than it has been for decades and we need Nato more than ever. The UK and its allies are committed to supporting Nato and what it stands for.”

Nato’s Joint Force Command in the Dutch municipality of Brunssum will command the response force in 2024. The UK’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps will serve as the land component command.