Trident Juncture 2015 Overview

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
11/02/2015

11/02/2015: Russian Observers visited a training area in Teulada during the NATO Exercise Trident Juncture 2015.

LTC Yuri Praskovin, the Inspector Team Leader, COL Valentin Barykin, LTC Oleg Lozhkyn and 1st LT Yuri Sukhanov attended.

Turkish F16 fighter pilots conduct training sorties from the Los Llanos airbase, as part of the LIVEX phase of Trident Juncture 2015.

Five F-16s from Turkey are taking part in the military exercise in Albacete as part of a multinational group.

In Zaragoza, Spain, over 300 paratroopers from Belgium, Italy and the US participate in a mass paradrop over Chinchilla, Spain.

Credit:Natochannel:10/27/15

 

 

 

Trident Juncture at Sea

Posted on | by Caroline Teames

11/02/2015: NATO warships have lined up to within just a few hundred feet of each other and taken part in a complicated group exercise for Exercise Trident Juncture 15.

The movement was captured by Royal Navy photographers as part of Officer of the Watch Maneuvers – a difficult task that tests ship communication systems, as well as command and control systems between vessels.

In total 18 warships, from 11 nations, took part in the series of complex maneuvers, which covered hundred of miles of the Western Mediterranean over several hours.

Two British warships took part in the serial, Her Majesty’s Ships Ocean and Bulwark, with Ocean’s Navigating Officer coordinating the whole exercise.

Credit:Natochannel:10/29/15

 

 

Marine Rotational Force End of Deployment

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
11/01/2015

11/01/2015: Members of the 1st Brigade said farewell to the 1100 US Marine Corps’ Marine Rotational Force Darwin personnel during a parade at Robertson Barracks on Monday, the 5th of October 2015.

Commander of the 1st Brigade, Brigadier Mick Ryan, talked about the important relationship that has been built between the two forces, and the benefits that have come from the partnership.

“To our partners, our mates, in this rotation of the United States Marine Corps – thank you. Thank you for your professionalism, your sharing of knowledge, and your embrace of our great top end community,” he said.

The Marine Rotational Force – Darwin contingent arrived in March this year, and have spent time training and carrying out exercises with 1st Brigade personnel, as well as taking part in community engagement activities in the Top End.

Credit: Australian Ministry of Defence:10/7/15

Netherlands Maritime Forces Conduct Amphibious Landing Training

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
10/29/2015

10/29/2015: The Royal Netherlands Navy is preparing for participation in the NATO Response Force (NRF) by conducting amphibious landing training off the coast of Spain as part of Exercise Trident Juncture 2015.

The Netherlands is commanding an amphibious task force during the exercise, consisting of a maritime staff aboard the Dutch amphibious transport HNLMS Johan De Witt.

The Netherlands’ 1300 participants include an Amphibious Task Group (ATG) consisting of Navy, Army and Air Force units.

During the exercise, the Dutch amphibious staff, led by Commander Rob Kramer, and the Marine Corps are being trained to operate on the border between land and water in a complex scenario.

Units of the Marines are put ashore from the sea, backed by naval vessels, landing craft and helicopters.

With this training, the Royal Netherlands Navy and its NATO partners are becoming well attuned to one another and can thus better align certain procedures.

Credit:Natochannel:10/23/15

The HNLMS Johan de Witt is a frigate with significant C2 capability and played a key role within Bold Alligator 2014.

Captain Rene Luyckx, CO of HNLMS Johan de Witt

Captain Rene Luyckx:

The ship was built in 2006. 

It is built more or less along commercial standards; there is a lot of room for operations. 

It is a small village. 

There is an airport, a garage, a hotel, and a port in effect involved with the ship. 

The difference with our ship compared to most ships of its class is that we have a large C2 area.

Captain Rene Luyckx: on the bridge of his ship during Bold Alligator 2014. Credit: Second Line of Defense

Question: Where have you operated the ship?

Captain Rene Luyckx : We have been on Exercise African Winds; twice we have operated as the command ship for anti-piracy operations off of Africa; and in the Caribbean as well.

Question: The kind of operations we need to do now require flexible C2. 

How have you used it so far?

Captain Rene Luyckx:

This ship was the flagship for the EU task force off of Africa. 

We will go again in January where Sweden will be in charge but they will operate off of our ship because of our C2 capabilities.

We intend to use the ship for a larger national force but it has become a very effective coalition asset.

And sea basing is crucial for you can operate independently, and provide support logistics aboard the ship rather than having to push them ashore.  And we can do C2 for the entire force we might support ashore as well.

Question: The Osprey is part of BA-2014.  How does it affect your thinking about operating as a coalition partner with the USN-USMC?

Captain Rene Luyckx:

We can land the Osprey aboard our ship. 

And the Ospreys can go deep against an objective area. 

And we can do other operations with our helos and landing craft.

And we can Command and Control all of this from the ship if we wish rather than having to put C2 ashore in a potentially hostile environment.

The Netherlands and Bold Alligator 2014

 

Trident Juncture 2015

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
10/26/2015

10/26/2015: Trident Juncture 2015 sees a huge mix of land, air and sea training exercises.

On 10/22/15 in Sierra Del Retin, Spain the Dutch ship, HNLMS Johan de Witt saw USMC V22 Ospreys land on its deck.

In Portugal, Portuguese and US Marines, conduct an Assault operation, at the Pinheiro da Cruz training range in Portugal.

The exercise includes simulation medical evacuation and building clearance.

At the San Gregorio training grounds in Spain, the Baltic Battalion, made up of troops from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania practiced combat exercises. Trident Juncture is a NATO-led exercise designed to certify NATO response forces and develop interoperability among participating NATO and partner nations.

 Credit:Natochannel:10/23/15

 

 

 

Osprey Lands on HNLMS JOHAN DE WITT in Trident Juncture 2015

Posted on | by Caroline Teames

10/26/2015: An Osprey lands on HNLMS JOHAN DE WITT during exercise Trident Juncture 2015.

Credit: Natochannel.:10/22/13

This was prepared for during training earlier this year.

The speed and range of the Osprey is a key combat enabler. It also provides significant reach and range to connect US and allied warships into a 21st century sea base. 

During Bold Alligator 2012, the Osprey landed on a T-AKE supply ship which expanded the lily pads from which an assault force can be launched. The Navy is looking to expand the size of the hanger aboard the T-AKE so that an Osprey can be kept in the hanger and one on deck for a total of two as needed.

Now the two dynamics – landing on a supply ship and on a foreign warship – have been combined during training off of the East Coast of the United States with a Dutch supply ship on June 12. 2015.

In a phone interview prior to the event with the Captain of the HNLS Karl Doorman, Peter Van Den Berg, the interoperability exercise and its origins was discussed…..

Van Den Berg: I think the Osprey in amphibious warfare is a real game changer. The Osprey will allow us the ability to sustain our support missions because of its ability to link us for a distance and with real speed. There is a shortage of decks; we need a connector like the Osprey able to link up those ships into an operational seabase for a coalition effort.

And from an amphibious point of view, you can operate an Osprey deep and with speed inland.

It changes the nature of the meaning of amphibious operations.

It not only expands the operational reach, but can allow ships to be further from shore and be more secure.

https://sldinfo.com/the-osprey-as-enabler-linking-coalition-warships/

 

Ukrainian Soldiers Receive UAS Demo

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
10/25/2015

10/25/2015: Soldiers from the Ukrainian National Guard watched a demonstration on the Shadow RQ-7B given by 173rd Airborne Brigade paratroopers.

The unmanned aerial vehicle display was given during Fearless Guardian.

After the launch, the soldiers were given a small class on the UAS capabilities. Maintenance NCOIC, Sgt. Preston Hancock spoke about the UAS demo.

Ukrainian Soldiers Receive UAS Demo from SldInfo.com on Vimeo.

Credit:173rd Airborne Brigade:8/25/15