Briefing Paper No.35

2 May 2013

Contact: Dr. Ian Davis | +44 (0)7887 782389 Email: [email protected] www.natowatch.org

Scotland hosts major NATO war games By Nigel Chamberlain, NATO Watch

The BBC reported on 11 April that more than where it poses no risk. 5,000 UK personnel were taking part in the largest British Forces News reported that military exercise in Europe this year. Readers warships were at the heart of the largest ever were told that Exercise Joint Warrior would test NATO exercise to take place off the coast of their ability to work together with the forces of nine with seven warships from the UK, other countries, but were not informed that it is a Netherlands and Canada sailing in formation from NATO training exercise. Bizarrely, there was no the East coast of Scotland round to the West mention of this exercise on the NATO website. coast. They joined up with the rest of the task Joint Warrior exercises are organised by the Joint group of more than 40 warships, 40 fixed-wing Tactical Exercise Planning Staff (JTEPS) based at aircraft and 30 helicopters from the UK, Northwood HQ in London and co-ordinated from Netherlands, Canada, France, Denmark, Belgium, HM Naval Base Clyde. Joint exercises were Norway, Poland, Sweden and Germany. conducted across Scotland from 15 to 29 April, A Response Force Task Group of Royal Marine involving 13,000 military personnel from NATO Commandoes launched an aviation assault on Member States and other nations aligned with Barry Buddon beach in Barry, Carnoustie. Viking NATO. The UK Ministry of Defence hoped the vehicles were also brought ashore via landing exercise would improve the UK's joint capabilities craft from HMS Bulwark, demonstrating how they with its allies, an asset it considers important in would bring their equipment and support to back modern warfare and security. up the marines landed from the air. Commander The BBC, rather than NATO explained: UK Task Group based on HMS Bulwark, Commodore Paddy McAlpine said: “During Joint There will be an airborne assault and amphibious Warrior we will practice fighting at sea as well as landings as well as training in counter-insurgency, counter-piracy and interstate war. 49 ships from fighting from the sea. We’ll practice against a various navies as well as up to 40 aircraft will be demanding air, surface and submarine threat, involved, including RAF Tornados and Typhoons. entering a hostile environment and then deliver The Royal Marine Commandos will make a landing our landing force of Royal and Dutch marines to at Barry Buddon the right area”. British training camp in Forces News Angus, near explained: Dundee. Further activities will take The scenario will cover place near a broad range of Stranraer, Dumfries circumstances including and Galloway, where evolving crisis and all nearby residents conflict situations which have been informed cover disputed territory, and the Ministry of conventional and non- Defence (MoD) conventional maritime expects it will cause and amphibious threats "no real disruption". such as counter-piracy Live ammunition will and terrorist activity. be used in certain The scenarios will exercises, on develop over two cleared ranges weeks, increasing in tension and uncertainty into stimulated operations Later, The Courier reported that: “Marines training and potential state-on-state hostilities. off the coast of Carnoustie were joined by a Peter MacKay, Canada’s Minister of National plucky new recruit after a seal boarded the Navy’s Defence said: "This exercise presents an flagship vessel”. The reporter explained: excellent opportunity for the Canadian Armed The slippery customer managed to get on board Forces to build and HMS Bulwark undetected strengthen while the ship sat at anchor interoperability and off the east coast. The combat effectiveness inquisitive animal sat and between Canada's watched the bemused crew for around half an military and our hour before making a quick NATO allies”. Vice- escape when it was Admiral Paul approached by an officer. Maddison, Commander Royal Objecting to Joint Canadian Navy said: Warrior, Scottish "These joint Nationalist MSP for exercises allow Caithness, Sutherland participating NATO and Ross, Rob Gibson, forces to become said that he had told by familiar with each the Scottish Association other's personnel and for Marine Science platforms, which will (SAMS), a UHI College pay future dividends as we continue to develop based near Oban, that there are clear links mutual trust and confidence in each other's between naval activities and harm to marine operational capabilities". mammal populations, particularly deep diving species. He said: “The Ministry of Defence NATO Watch has written extensively about responds to claims that sonar tracking affects NATO’s strategic planning with regard to whales, dolphins and porpoises with bland developing the interoperability of allied forces and reassurances about environmental safeguards. promoting the role of Special Forces ready to But they now have to address the large quantity of deploy worldwide at short notice. research into the problem”. A Royal Navy press As the exercise got underway, The Scotsman office spokesman said: reported that “Royal Marine Commandos stormed Some of the exercise areas overlap with ashore by helicopter to mark the start of the environmentally sensitive conservation zones and biggest military exercise staged this year by considerations will always be taken into account as combined European forces”. The paper added a primary consideration when planning exercises. that RAF Tornados and Typhoons would be During the planning of Joint Warrior, environmental training alongside Rafale and Super Etendard impact assessments have been produced where required, such as for the use of active sonar and live aircraft from the French Carrier Air Group. weapons. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence In October 2012, Rob Gibson claimed that NATO explained: exercises like Joint Warrior and the low-flying A variety of other UK and Allied land forces will exercise Combined Qualified Weapons conduct Forward Air Control (FAC) training in Instructors’ Course embody aggressive military Scotland and Northern England using defence training of little relevance to Scottish defence. He training areas, commercial ranges, and private land said: “NATO thanks to the MoD, has full use of areas. These will include UK units as well as US, Scotland’s seas, airspace and land to practice war French, Swedish, German, Italian and Dutch Marine games. It is time to review the need for aggressive FACs. Elements of Joint Ground Based Air Defence including Rapier fire units from 16 Regiment Royal military training and especially the outmoded use Artillery will also practice air defence during of low flying exercises. These blight large areas in Exercise Joint Warrior. the huge low flying training zone that stretches from the Borders to the north coast”. The Courier reported that “last week’s media exercise to mark the start of a massive show of European might was just a glimpse of the huge war game that will run around the Scottish coastline for the next two weeks” and that shuttle trips were supplying HMS Bulwark, anchored around six miles offshore. The reporter merely received a ‘neither confirm nor deny’ response to his enquiry if any Arbroath smokies had made it on board.