Joint Warrior 13-2 Training Exercise Begins

08/10/2013 by Paul Fiddian - Armed Forces International's Lead Reporter

Warships, combat aircraft and armed forces personnel have arrived en masse in and around Scotland for the latest edition of the Joint Warrior military training exercises programme.

Joint Warrior 13-2 started on 7 October and runs until 17 October. Involved are a host of Royal Navy ships and examples from France, Norway and Denmark, RAF and NATO air force fast jets and various maritime patrol aircraft.

These air and sea-based assets will participate in multiple joint scenarios - among them, terror response operations, counter-insurgency work and anti-piracy campaigns. Other focus areas include electronic warfare training, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and logistics/support training.

Joint Warrior Exercises

The Joint Warrior exercises are staged two times a year - typically in April and October.

Exercise Joint Warrior is one of many such military training exercises carried out at locations the world-over. It and its counterparts exist to reinforce already-present international ties and give armed forces the chances to swap tactics and training knowledge.

One element of this edition is Exercise Capable Eagle, within which Royal Air Force Typhoons will fly alongside French Air Force Mirage 2000s. "This is the first time that the British and French air forces will have conducted a combined end-to-end exercise", Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford, the Chief of the Air Staff, commented. "Recent operations have demonstrated the tangible benefits of French and British airmen and women working closely together, at all levels, and I know that this exercise will provide the opportunity to further enhance the ability of two of NATO's major partners to take a leading role in future multinational operations.

Joint Warrior 13-2

Other participating Joint Warrior 13-2 assets include Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 strike aircraft and Hawk T1 jet trainers and a French Air Force KC-135 tanker.

Naval participants include the Royal Navy's Type 23 frigates HMS Monmouth, HMSPortland, HMS Somerset, HMS Sutherland, and HMS Northumberland. Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessels HMS Cattistock and HMS Brocklesby and the Sandown-class minehunter, HMS Bangor. The Royal Danish Navy's HDMS Absalon leads the international maritime contingent while host bases include HM Naval Base Clyde, RAF Leuchars and RAF Lossiemouth.