Type 45 Destroyer HMS Duncan joined forces with FS Chevalier Paul and USS Nitze to take on French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle and her Carrier Strike Group as part of Exercise Orion 23.
The Type 45 Destroyer was able to “anti-air warfare at scale”.
Exercise ORION 2023 is the first exercise in what French Joint Forces Command hopes will be a triennial cycle of exercises aimed at reinforcing joint forces operational readiness.
@HMSDuncan joined forces with FS Chevalier Paul and USS Nitze to take on #FrenchCSG in #Orion23.
Great to practice anti-air warfare at scale – think we gave you a run for your money…#LastAndBest https://t.co/vLAUskiY4y— HMS Duncan (@HMSDuncan) March 1, 2023
ORION 23 is based on a scenario developed by NATO to explore the different phases of a modern conflict and will be on a scale unprecedented in recent decades.
It aims to train the French armed forces within a multinational joint forces framework to refocus the armed forces and their various branches and administrative levels on a joint, multi-domain exercise in a contested environment.
The exercise will also involve an inter-ministerial perspective extending beyond purely military concerns. So, one of the major training themes of ORION 23 will be the coordination of assets and effects over the full spectrum of operations. In short, it’s a big exercise covering land, air and sea operations.
Oh, it’s just an exercise..
Got excited there for a moment 😉
Gutted 😂😂
They surrendered
🕵
How many jets make it back to the carrier 😊
Very very few. All 3 of those ships have decent anti air and anti missile defences. I’d imagine the carrier strike group would have lost a few of its screening warships in the engagement.
NATO has the luxury of realistic wargaming against advanced and well trained professional fellow members, raising the bar for everyone and maximising the usefulness of the training. There’s no doubt in my mind whatever, that should NATO find itself at war with a hostile country, it would roll them up pretty bloody quickly, from a conventional perspective at least. It’s becoming absolutely clear that Russia really is a paper tiger, outdated equipment, poor training, new equipment that’s not as capable as some analysts thought and using Soviet doctrine that’s utterly failed. Despite the years of cuts, NATO is still an… Read more »
Totally agree with the general thrust. But certain European nations must raise defence expending to min of 2%, which is not a target, it is a minimum level!
I wish we one day reach the point where European NATO can defend our own continent without US assistance – not saying we want to break away from the US at all.
If only the UK could also achieve it 😉
David, we have hit (and slightly exceeded) the 2% figure since it was set in 2006, although I understand there is a concern we may undershoot this year (unless Hunt tops up the Defence coffers in the upcoming budget).
Reference is: https://fullfact.org/economy/defence-spending/
Totally agree Graham, the fact that 3% GDP on defence now looks like a mountain to climb (I would regard that as an acceptable amount, we should never have gone below) shows how far things have gone.
The great wake up call for NATO, should set the bar at 2.5 % as a minimum to be a member.
Why should the American tax payer pay for European defence? All NATO countries should pull their weight. The so called peace dividend, is truly over, can anyone really doubt that now?
Agree Europe needs to be able to handle its own security as well as providing some support for global security. We cannot really allow the US to become to distracted by Europe ( they should be a second fiddle) as they really need all their eyes on the pacific.
It’s funny because when the French said that, everybody thought “Oh, France wants to break with NATO and create a hole in the alliance”.
Although everybody agrees that a strong Europe is a strong NATO…
Keep going, you’re giving Sunak plenty of ammo to use against an increase in defence spending;)
Morning David, quite the opposite, there is a strong case for a totally new Defence Review, increasing force levels across the board.
It’s going to require a substantial cash injection to get back ahead of the curve and cross party concensus to secure the Armed forces for a generation.
Let’s reserve our judgement until we see the results of the revised review … Not holding out too much hope though!
Morning John,
You do understand I am in violent agreement with you, right?
Absolutely David….
Govt is doing a new IR, no doubt followed by a revised Defence Command Paper. No idea why they did not do this soon after 24/2/2022. Are they not that interested in Defence of the Realm and our Continent?
Ben Wallace is said to be asking for £10bn or £11bn – reports vary. Very much doubt he will get anything like that.
My guess is he will get a small uplift of 2/3 billion… Combined with a proper reorganisation and stop going for gold plated UK specific options, were applicable, then 3 billion would make a small difference. With no changes, then a 3 billion a year uplift will be just be swallowed up by the next Ajax to come along. My guess would be a ‘gold plated’ UK specific solution to what should be a simple off the shelf option for Puma Medium Helicopter replacement, with money just poured in to another black hole of out of control spending… Ill take… Read more »
A major point is that with a tiny army (and no doubt smaller navy and air force than we would wish) we do need to have equipment that is exceptional as an offsetting factor.
However I don’t see that the Ajax problems have been principally down to a gold-plated spec.
To be honest I’m not entirely sure our government has been interested in much apart from its own internal party political dramas…it’s very much time for a new broom..
The trouble is Jonathan, in our rather inclement political weather, you are simply getting the brolly out for a different impending shower of shit…. Labour have nothing new to say, or offer, they are simply (probably) the winner by default. All they do is poo poo the Government with “We wouldn’t have done that” and if the Scumbag Tories say its white, then we say its black etc etc Its a poor show, Starmer and Co will be an absolute rabble, mile wide lead, but an inch thick as they say. I don’t see any outstanding players in his ranks.… Read more »
I was expecting a response from a certain “Russophile” by now 😂
I think John in Minsk has had his Vodka and weekly potato allowance cut, plus his Lada towed away, as he hasn’t managed to bring anyone over to the dark side!
Lol
https://www.janes.com/defence-news/naval-weapons/latest/official-rendering-shows-ghost-bat-loyal-wingman-landing-aboard-queen-elizabeth-class-carrier
Fantastic I love it when our french cousins 10 centuries removed lol. Still getting a virtual kick up the ass. I think we should sell the NHS to the Americans and Saudis and who ever else wants to take on that pie… Total assets are £3trillon enough to pay our national debt and pay for economical upgrades to everyone’s homes and the £159 billion cost saved every year for the mismanagement and unaccountable staff holding the nation to Ransom… We need to spend at least an extra £25 billion a year propping up and arming our military for at least… Read more »
Well since the US government pays its health care providers more per person than the British government pays the NHS…then the US public and employers then have to pay another amount per person more that the UK governments pays for the NHS…if we sold our health system to the US providers we would be paying something in the region 450billion per year ( the US system gets paid around 3 times the amount per person that the UK system) in very short order…..but you know what you would not see DRs and Nurse on strike anymore….one thing the US system… Read more »
Great well thought out and evidence based response! That is what we like QED 😉
Great response. It’s demoralising for NHS staff to hear comments from uneducated baboons who know nothing about health economics.
Just so you know I would love to work in a U.S. style market lead system..if you think the NHS staff are holding you to ransom…just you wait until a private market lead systems asks you just how much you think your life is worth…as an advanced nurse practitioner in the US private system gets paid around 130,000 dollars to 140,000 dollars a year compared to around £40,000- 50,000 in the NHS..just bring it on ( that’s one reason why the NHS has a staffing crisis…international competition)….as for all your consultants holding the NHS to ransom for their 90-100k a… Read more »
I earn £50k a year as a critical care practitioner with 26 years full time experience. I have a masters degree. Work regularly 60-72 hours per week. Yet somehow my colleagues and I are considered to be holding the country to ransom. Vs work abroad and earn + £100k for the same job. I don’t expect the NHS to pay me +£100k but an above inflation pay rise for the first time in 15 years, so that I’m not in essence continually becoming poorer would be a good start. Oh and next pandemic, don’t clap for heroes as clearly a… Read more »
Indeed what most people don’t appreciate is that our health system (NHS) is only as cheap as it because staff are happy to work in a system that is anti market forces…they fail to understand we accept lower wages than we could get because healthcare workers in this country think beyond market forces. If we were paid what the international labour market and market forces actually dictated this nation would have to pay one hell of a lot more… most people don’t recognise the problem has come about not because health care professionals have suddenly become greedy but because the… Read more »
But you need to factor in 6 weeks paid leave + Bank Holidays. US workers tend to get at best 2 weeks annually.
Well yes that will give you around a 10% up lift but the US are paying 100% more as a minimum. You’re talking for a senior nurse £50,000 a year in the NHS vs around $140,000 dollars In the US system. The US is not even the best paid Switzerland is..with an average salary of $85,000 ( for staff nurses) going up to $250,000 for senior nurses, which is to be honest bonkers..they also have one of the highest density of nurses in Europe 18 per thousand people ( Norway has 18 per thousand as well) the Uk has a… Read more »