The second phase of Exercise Joint Warrior 20-2 has kicked off in Scotland.
JW 20-2 incorporates surface, subsurface, airborne, and land assets providing joint training in a multi-threat environment for NATO units.
As the sun sets, we will rise at its dawn to lead the UK Carrier Strike Group into @NATO's biggest yearly exercise, #JW202.
9 Ships
27 Aircraft
3,000 Personnel#WeAreNATO #WeAreReady#WeStrikeFromTheSea ⚡⚓ pic.twitter.com/pgu8JHW7rh— HMS Queen Elizabeth (@HMSQNLZ) October 4, 2020
Exercise Joint Warrior is the largest military exercise in Europe, bringing together the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force and the British Army, as well as forces from other nations.
“Joint Warrior is our premier venue for recertifying our ships for fleet operations, and the synergy with the Royal Navy could not be better,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Joseph Gagliano, Commander, Task Force (CTF) 65.
“We count on them to keep our ships ready, and they can always count on our commitment to security in this theatre.”
British forces join 6,000 personnel from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the US for this iteration, which is scheduled to include 28 ships, two submarines and 81 aircraft.
What’s the purpose of the exercise?
The Ministry of Defence say that the aim is to provide a complex environment in which the participants can train together, honing tactics and skills in preparation for deployment as a Combined Joint Task Force.
“The scenario for each Joint Warrior is designed to reflect contemporary political tensions – such as the War on Terror and the threat posed by ISIS – and to simulate the hostilities that might result from them. The ultimate aim? To assure maximum preparedness in the face of any threat.”
This massive multinational war exercise involves warships, aircraft, marines and troops from UK, NATO and allied forces. The exercise doesn’t only allow participating units to hone their specialist roles within a larger war-style setting – it also helps foster vital links between the UK, NATO and other allied militaries.
I bet that’s a site to see!
I note that the headline highlights that there 100 ships in Scotland. The article then mentions that 28 ships and 2 subs will be involved in ‘this iteration’.
Do we know what the iterations are? ASW followed by amphibious landing, for example? It would good to understand the basic structure of the exercise as it would give a more complete idea of the scale of the exercise beyond the mere numbers – which are impressive enough!
I believe the over 100 figure is for “ships and aircraft”, so the 28 ships, 2 subs and 81 aircraft mentioned later in the article.
Is the picture accurate and from this exercise? If so both Albion and Bulwark are at sea at the same time as one of our carriers (which is great to see in terms of availability and manning)
No, it’s not. Bulwark is still in long term storage and Albion is currently in the Mediterranean.