Highlander Liam Scott, 20, recently took part in Exercise STEADFAST DART, NATO’s largest military exercise of 2025, which marked the first time the Doonhamer had travelled abroad during his military career.
The large-scale exercise was part of the United Kingdom’s efforts to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank and involved more than 2600 personnel and 730 vehicles. Taking place across January and February, it was designed to showcase the rapid deployment capabilities of NATO’s Allied Reaction Force (ARF).
Highlander Scott and fellow 4 SCOTS soldiers engaged in several tough training activities including live firing and tactical vehicle training. The group experienced combined exercises spanning air, sea, land, cyber and space capabilities to deliver strategic deterrence and ensure European security.
He said: “Participating in Exercise STEADFAST DART was a tremendous opportunity for us to showcase our skills and build on our operational readiness.
“I am proud to represent The Royal Regiment of Scotland and contribute to NATO’s mission of maintaining peace and security in Europe.”
Reflecting on the experience, Liam also noted the benefits of training with different nations, highlighting that joint exercises with Spanish and French forces proved significantly valuable.
He added: “It was really beneficial to understand more about how other nations operate. We took part in urban training with the Spanish and French which was in equal parts testing and educational.
“The standout part of the exercise for me was the final exercise — a mock attack that we had been working towards executing throughout our time there.”
The exercise also involved a challenging 2300km road trip through five European countries, demonstrating the ‘Very High Readiness’ mobility of NATO’s Allied Reaction Force capability.
The logistics troops played a crucial role in ensuring the successful transit of troops and equipment, proving the unity and strength of NATO.
