The Turkish delegation handed over the lead of NATO's highest military force to France on Saturday, the bloc announced Wednesday.

France will take over the leadership of the Very High Readiness Joint Force (VJTF) as of Jan. 1, 2022, NATO said in a press statement.

"The Very High Readiness Joint Task Force is a substantial contribution to our collective defense, and France's leadership is a strong display of commitment and capabilities," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

"At a time of unprecedented security challenges, there must be no misunderstanding about NATO's resolve: We stand together to defend and protect all allies," he added.

The VJTF is the highest readiness element of NATO's 40,000-strong response force, which enables troops to be deployed within days.

It was created in 2014 in response to the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the crises in the Middle East.

The leadership of the high-readiness force rotates between countries every year, and several countries provide troops for the multinational force.

In 2022, a 3,500-strong Franco-German brigade will serve as the core of the VJTF, while Poland, Spain and Portugal will also join the troops.

Turkey assumed its command in 2021 and Germany will take over from France in 2023.