BERLIN, May 28 (LETA) - Germany and the Netherlands will set up a joint tactical headquarters in the Baltics this year to command forces on NATO's eastern flank and help deter Russia, Berlin said Thursday.

The joint German-Dutch command center known as 1GNC will "assume a command role on NATO's eastern flank, specifically in the region Estonia and Latvia" in the coming months, the German Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"The deployment of an additional tactical headquarters to the region strengthens the cohesion of NATO and supports the deterrence of Russia," it said.

1GNC is a command center that can control up to 50,000 troops if needed.

Its tasks include planning and running military exercises, planning for possible conflict and leading forces if a war breaks out.

The unit, the German-Netherlands Corps, is headquartered in Muenster, Germany, and deploys from there for NATO missions when required.

The new command headquarters is intended to give NATO more capacity and the ability to respond more quickly.

"By establishing a second corps headquarters in the region... Germany together with the Netherlands demonstrate their willingness and ability to assume responsibility for deterrence and defense of NATO's eastern flank," the ministry said.

The Netherlands and Germany rotate command of 1GNC, which was established in 1995. Germany is in charge of the unit until early 2028.

In addition to the Netherlands and Germany, a further 14 NATO countries currently provide staff to the headquarters.

Reuters reported earlier this week that NATO will strengthen the defense of its eastern flank with a new structure that would facilitate the rapid deployment of forces in Latvia and Estonia in the event of a war with Russia.

Currently, NATO forces in the Baltic region come under the command of a single headquarters in the Polish city of Szczecin.

Assigning a second corps ⁠for the region will allow NATO to bring in "mass at speed", as one military official described it, addressing the region's limited strategic depth and vulnerability.

When fully operational, an army corps typically commands three divisions, or 40,000 to 60,000 troops. In peacetime, it normally exists as a command structure, with specialist functions such as artillery, air defense and medics in place to allow rapid deployment of troops when needed.