11/01/2014: Directed by NATO Maritime Command at Northwood, UK, this multinational exercise in the Mediterranean brings together no fewer than 23 vessels and some 5,000 personnel from 14 different NATO and partners nations.
Headed by the Spanish flagship Castilla, warships, submarines, combat aircraft, helicopters and amphibious assault craft are training in Mediterranean waters as part of a high-threat simulation.
The objective is to train for collective defence, upholding article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty and sharpening rapid reaction crisis management forces.
This exercise is a NATO Response Force (NRF) certification, exercise for those forces that will be part of next years’ high readiness NRF to ensure they capable to respond to a rapid response scenario. With the current situations in Ukraine, Syria and Iraq this training is very important.
Credit: Natochannel: 10/22/14