Largest military exercise in Europe kicks off in Scotland

More than 11,600 personnel from 17 nations will take part in Exercise Joint Warrior this month.

Joint Warrior is a UK-led multinational exercise that involves numerous warships, aircraft, marines and troops from allied nations around the world. The exercise traditionally takes place twice per year, the first in April and the second in October. Last Aprils exercise was the biggest in terms of scale in the exercise’s history with more than 50 ships, 70 aircraft and 13,000 personnel were involved.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

“Joint Warrior prepares our troops in the best way to meet the intensifying threats our country faces by providing a major opportunity to exercise with our allies.

Our Armed Forces are the face of global Britain, and training side by side with troops from 16 other nations means we are stronger and more capable when it comes to keeping our countries safe and protecting our way of life.”

Captain Joint Tactical Exercise Planning Staff, Captain Paul Pitcher RN, said:

“This exercise gives the UK participants a chance to train with our allies and partners, honing our skills and developing our tactics. It is hugely important in making sure that we can fuse all elements of our capabilities, enhancing our ability to conduct joint operations now and in the future.”

It will culminate on Salisbury Plain Training Area on the 3rd May in which JEF forces, including troops from the UK Parachute Regiment, the Danish Jutland Dragoon Regiment, the Lithuanian “Iron Wolf” Brigade and the Latvian Mechanised Infantry Brigade, will conduct urban combat operations with air support provided by Apaches, Chinooks, Wildcats and Tornados.

The normally bi-annual exercise is running from the 21st April to 4th May, and incorporates all three UK services as well as forces from 16 other nations including Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the US.

Recently however it emerged that only one Joint Warrior exercise will take place this year due to concerns of overstretching forces as they undertake ‘other commitments’. The second of the two Joint Warrior exercises will not now take place as we understand that the armed forces are taking part in two other major exercises, leaving no capacity to commit appropriate forces to the second part of Joint Warrior.

According to a response to a Freedom of Information request:

It is understood that two Joint Warrior exercises are still expected to be held in 2019.