4,000 troops, 58 aircraft, 19 vessels start to arrive Scotland

Exercise Joint Warrior will be taking place across Scotland and Northern England over the next two weeks.

The Ministry of Defence say that nearly 4,000 troops, 58 aircraft, 16 ships and three submarines from 12 NATO nations as well as Japan and the United Arab Emirates, will participate in the exercise until the 17th of October.

This autumn’s exercise will also mark the first of five in which the Anglo-French military force, the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF), will be able to test itself before confirming it is fully operational by next summer.

Minister for the Armed Forces Mark Lancaster said:

“As we look ahead to the December NATO Leaders’ meeting in London to mark the Alliance’s 70th anniversary, Exercise Joint Warrior provides a timely demonstration of why it is the bedrock of our defence. A wide spectrum of allies and friends will come together, build understanding and sharpen our collective defence. We are stronger and safer together.”

Although run by the UK, Joint Warrior is closely aligned to NATO training aims and is included in the NATO exercise programme, say the MoD.

The following NATO nations are taking part in Exercise Joint Warrior: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Turkey the UK and the US. Japan and the UAE are also taking part in the exercise.

The Ministry of Defence say that the aim of the bi-annual Joint Warrior exercise is to allow the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force and their allies to ‘conduct joint operations involving different forces and units and against a range of current and future threats’.