We’re back for another issue of the tri-service and multinational exercise Joint Warrior Exercise which is conducted in the United Kingdom. This exercise provides high quality coordinated training at the tactical level for all three of the UK’s Armed Services and numerous visiting units from invited allied nations.

This exercise is coordinated, planned and delivered by a joint team of Royal Navy and RAF personnel that form the Joint Tactical Exercise Planning Staff (JTEPS) based at Northwood HQ, London. Joint Warrior 14-1 is the largest live, tactically focused exercise held in Europe this year.

The scenario:

Joint Warrior simulated an extensive range of evolving crises and conflicts that could be realistically encountered in operations involving multiple sovereign nations, disputed territory, terrorist activity and piracy. If we look around the globe, this is absolutely realistic in the present time and could happen anytime, anywhere. The UK and the invited nations will need to always be prepared for these threats so this requires training in the following disciplines:

• Maritime Task Force Training
• Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW)
• Mine Countermeasure (MCM) Training
• Counter Piracy, Narcotics and Insurgency
• Submarine Training
• Joint Fires
• Composite Air Operations
• Close Air Support
• Tactical Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR)
• Electronic Warfare (EW) Training
• GPS Denial Operations
• Logistic Support and Training

Squadron Leader Lloyd Barrett (Officer Commanding UK Maritime and Air Operations Centre), who is responsible for operational support, informed us that this really huge exercise is a logistical challenge because up to 13,000 personnel are involved during this period of training.

After the opening and explanation from Squadron Leader Lloyd Barrett, he introduced the officers from the participating Air Arms. In a discussion about the question of whether the RAF missed the Nimrod, Barret said very diplomatically “we retired the Nimrod but we did not retire the system.” Lieutenant Colonel Bjorn Gohn-Hellum from the Norwegian Air Force also told us that the Norwegian Air Force missed the capacity and the support of the British Nimrods in the North Sea. The Norwegian Air Force participated in JW 14-1 with one P-3C with two flight and two maintenance crews. The US Navy participated with two P-3Cs, one NP-3C and one P-8 Poseidon. Commander James Johnston, from the US Navy Squadron VP-10, told us that they had brought six Orion crews to the exercise. The crews of the Poseidon and the NP-3C from Squadron VX-20 NP-3C are not included in the six. The RCAF brought two CP-140 Auroras to participate in the exercise, one Block II and one Block III aircraft. They flew the ferry flights with a third P3-C which is not usual. An interesting question to the Royal New Zealand Air Force, which brought a single P-3K to JW 14-1, was, “how long did you need for the trip to Scotland”? Wing Commander Daniel Hunt answered with a hidden smile, “six days!”

It was interesting to be able to interview a French Navy officer, because the French brought the Breguet Atlantic ATL-2 and around 50 personnel to the exercise. Ensign Lieutenant Malini from the French Navy informed us that they are very happy with this aircraft. It is a real multi-mission aircraft with pleasant flight characteristics.

Review and photography by Peter Thivessen and Wolfgang Jarisch for ASR MEDIA LLC.