BUDAPEST Hungary, along with other states in central and eastern Europe, will host a command center to help coordinate deployment of NATO's rapid reaction force in an emergency, the government said on Friday. <\/p>\n
The U.S.-led military alliance has already activated similar centers in Lithuania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Romania. <\/p>\n
Hungary said the command center, called a NATO Force Integration Unit, would be staffed by 40 officers from Hungary and other NATO member states, but it would not be a base for forces. <\/p>\n
\"Its task in peaceful times is to organize and plan international exercises and, in an emergency, the coordination of the NATO Reaction Force,\" the government spokesman's office said in a reply to questions by Reuters. <\/p>\n
The role of NATO's spearhead force, due to be fully operational early next year, is likely to be discussed by alliance defense ministers at a meeting in Brussels on Oct.8. <\/p>\n
Some eastern European NATO members, including Poland, want to keep the force's focus on deterring a possible Russian attack in light of Moscow's annexation of Crimea in March last year. <\/p>\n
\"We started from the fact that the world is becoming a more and more dangerous place and we may need fast and efficient help from our allies,\" the spokesman said. <\/p>\n
NATO said on its website that the centers would \"help in rapid deployment of Allied forces to the eastern part of the Alliance if necessary.\" <\/p>\n
(Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Richard Balmforth) <\/p>\n
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Continued here: BUDAPEST Hungary, along with other states in central and eastern Europe, will host a command center to help coordinate deployment of NATO's rapid reaction force in an emergency, the government said on Friday. The U.S.-led military alliance has already activated similar centers in Lithuania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Romania Continue reading
\nHungary joins other NATO allies to host command center ...<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"