Largest military exercise in Europe gets under way
Arran residents will soon see a big increase in military ships and aircraft in and around the coast of the island as Europe’s largest military exercise, Joint Warrior, gets under way.
The biennual exercise, which starts tomorrow (Sunday) and runs until Thursday October 12, will see the involvement of 14 nations who will be bringing ships, aircraft and troops to military ranges across the country and to maritime exercise areas off the west and north coasts of Scotland. Included in these will be 35 naval units from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK and the US, supported by 11 rotary wing aircraft.
Exercise Joint Warrior is designed, planned and delivered by the Joint Tactical Exercise Planningstaff based at Northwood in London who will deploy to HM Naval Base Clyde to co-ordinate events during the fortnight.
Activity will include HMS Gannet in Prestwick and RAF Lossiemouth hosting international aircraft from Canada, France, Norway, the UK and US. There will be mine counter measures activity in the Campbeltown area and the Cape Wrath weapons range in the north of Scotland will be used for joint fires activity.
Exercise Joint Warrior is linked directly with the NATO military training exercise programme and will mirror a broad range of crisis and conflict situations which could realistically be experienced in realworld operations.
Over the fortnight participants will be faced with a period of increasing political and military tensions, along with a huge range of realistic military tasks such as intelligence gathering and reconnaissance; anti-smuggling and counter-terrorism operations; humanitarian assistance and evacuation operations.
Further information on Exercise Joint Warrior, including notices to mariners and impact statements, can be found by visiting Queen’s Harbour Master Clyde’s page on the Royal Navy website: https://www. royalnavy.mod.uk/qhm/ clyde/jw.