Hundreds of UK maritime personnel will take part in a NATO exercise focused on crisis response over the next fortnight.
Cold Response is the name given to Norwegian exercises with invited Partnership for Peace countries held in northern Norway. The first one was the largest military exercise in Norway in 2006.
Exercise Cold Response will draw in around 750 personnel from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, along with two warships.
It follows the Defence Secretary’s announcement earlier this month that the UK will double its maritime deployments to NATO in 2016.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said:
“This underlines the UK’s resolve to defend our northern allies at sea. We are spending more on defence and increasing our maritime commitment to NATO in 2016. All of this sends a clear message that we will respond to any threat in an increasingly dangerous world.”
This year, the following nations will participate in Cold Response: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland​, France, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands​, Pol​​​and, Spain, Sweden, the USA, the United Kingdom and Norway.​​ In addition, there will be several ​participating units from NAT​O.
This year’s exercise is divided into three phases: ​​Preparation phase: 19th February to 1st of March, Exercise phase: 2nd to 9th of March and closing phase: 10th to 22nd March
That’s a fantastic picture as well
They exercise in Norway every year between January and the end of March and have been doing for years.I was there in 1980,1981and1985.
I don’t think they’ll be using that ship…
I do really like that picture, is there a high def version available somewhere?
Wasn’t it called Exercise Cold Winter for many years?????