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01 Mar 22. InVeris Training Solutions to Highlight Virtual Training and Live-fire Systems at DSA 2022 Show. InVeris Training Solutions(booth #3023T) will display an array of live-fire and virtual training capabilities at the 17th Defence Services Asia (DSA) Exhibition and Conference at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur, March 28-31. InVeris will demonstrate the FATS® 100MIL virtual training system at DSA. The FATS 100MIL is a major expansion in weapons training capability with 3D marksmanship, enhanced weapons diagnostics with intelligent automatic coaching and collective training.
“The technologies we’re highlighting at DSA definitively show that no matter what your training need is, InVeris has the solution for you,” said InVeris Chief Executive Officer Al Weggeman. “InVeris can help solve your greatest training challenges, whether you need best-in-class live-fire range equipment, or the world’s most trusted and fielded simulation systems.”
At DSA, InVeris will feature its industry-leading shooting range equipment, including a Multi-Function Stationary Infantry Target (MF-SIT) with a LOMAH (location of miss and hit) and QuikTurn™ 360 turning target. (Source: ASD Network)
02 Mar 22. Royal Marines carry out fjord recce mission as huge Arctic exercises with NATO allies take shape. Royal Marines emerged from the freezing depths of an Arctic fjord during final preparations for the largest winter exercise in Norway for 30 years.
Expert teams from 30 Commando Information Exploitation Group swam ashore and used inflatable raiding boats, before studying their surroundings to carefully calculate the best place for troops to land and hit an adversary decisively.
The commandos carried out this essential training in northern Norway to ensure that amphibious forces are able to access the rugged Arctic coastline when the Norwegian-led Exercise Cold Response begins in earnest next week alongside a galvanised NATO effort for peace and stability in Europe.
Around 35,000 troops from 28 nations are expected to be involved in Cold Response, which will show how a unified multilateral force would defend Norway and Europe’s northern flank from a modern adversary.
Roughly 900 Royal Marines will spearhead the UK involvement, raiding along the rugged Norwegian coastline from an amphibious task group led by HMS Albion.
Aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales will deploy to the exercise, with frigate HMS Richmond, Type 45 destroyer HMS Defender, a Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker and a nuclear-powered attack submarine escorting her.
UK Merlin and Wildcat helicopters will patrol the skies, supporting commando operations and hunting submarines alongside a wide range of aircraft from across NATO, including F-35 fighter jets and attack helicopters.
This participation in the exercises underlines the UK’s commitment to security in Europe and forges closer bonds between NATO allies and partners.
Brigadier Rich Cantrill, in charge of the UK’s commando forces, said: “The UK is making a strong contribution to one of the largest Cold Response exercises for years.
“NATO as an alliance needs to be ready for anything, ready for all environments. It’s essential for us to support Norwegian partners and that’s why we train in the Arctic so often.
“Cold Response is an amazing opportunity for key NATO allies and partners to come together in the most challenging environment of the High North, prepare for any eventuality and learn to work together.
“What we’ll see is a strong maritime task force and then land exercises. We will see many nations come together from the UK to Norway, the USA, the Netherlands, France, Germany and Italy.”
The exercises – which run from March 10 to April 10 – will see allied forces, including from NATO partner nations Sweden and Finland, take control of the waters off Norway’s coastline in a training scenario designed to enhance the alliance’s ability to protect the host nation.
Air operations will commence soon after that before the final phase will see amphibious landings and land operations.
This is when the UK’s commandos will come into their own, raiding positions along the coast to pave the way for larger amphibious forces.
Royal Marines have been in the Arctic since January perfecting extreme cold weather skills in surviving, moving, and fighting across the frozen landscape.
For the expert Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron, of which the Shore Reconnaissance Team (SRT) is a part, the deployment has allowed them to practise some of their key skills and worked with Norwegian counterparts based at Ramsund Naval Base.
Having swum ashore, the SRT turned up the volume with live break contact drills on the icy beaches and snow-covered coastline of Ramsund which lies around two dozen miles west of Narvik.
The tactics practised allow the commandos to disengage quickly from an enemy and regain their covert posture.
Electronic targets were sprung on the commandos without warning to simulate an overwhelming enemy force and the marines were tasked with breaking contact back to the beach and getting away using their fast inflatable raiding craft. (Source: Royal Navy)
02 Mar 22. Azerbaijan holds special tactical exercises in winter conditions. The exercises assessed the units’ capabilities to deploy military equipment and perform combat missions in winter conditions. The military exercises were held in winter conditions. Credit: © Ministry Of Defence Of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has conducted special tactical exercises that involved troops participating in combat operations in winter conditions. The military exercises were held in accordance with the Combat Coordination Plan, of the Nakhchivan garrison troops, for 2022. It involved special forces units of the Combined Arms Army, the state security service of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, and rescue units of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
In a statement, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defence said: “Classes were held with the units involved in the exercises in order to conduct combat and rescue operations in severe cold weather, with high professionalism, to achieve coordinated activities of the management bodies in the planning of operations, to improve the knowledge and skills of the command staff.”
The units’ capabilities to deploy military equipment, and perform combat missions in winter conditions, were assessed during the exercises.
The ministry also focused on assessing logistical operations that include delivery of supplies, vehicles, and food for blizzard and hard-to-reach areas.
The military activities during the drill included joint operations to ambush and capture enemy’s military equipment, as well as detecting and neutralising terrorist groups.
The troops also performed search and rescue operations in high, mountainous, and snowy areas.
“The objectives of the exercises instilling high moral character in the spirit of courage, endurance, will, and patriotism in conduct of combat, security, and evacuation tasks were achieved,” the statement added.
(Source: army-technology.com)
01 Mar 22. Finland’s Coastal Fleet begins annual winter operations exercise. Several vessels from Finnish Navy’s Coastal Fleet will be participating in Lumiukko 22 exercise. The Finnish Defence Forces announced that the Finnish Navy’s Coastal Fleet has started annual winter operations exercise Lumiukko 22. The exercise is being conducted in the Archipelago Sea and the Gulf of Finland and will continue until 10 March 2022. Lumiukko 22 will involve several vessels from the Coastal Fleet participating in seamanship and combat technical operations. The military exercise will help the participating naval troops to hone their operating skills in winter conditions at sea.
Chief of Staff of the Coastal Fleet Commander Mikko Villikari said: “Winter conditions at sea may be challenging, but combat capability must be maintained in all circumstances.
“Winter navigation and seamanship skills required in winter circumstances are regularly trained.”
The Coastal Fleet is the main naval fleet in the Finnish Navy. The fleet maintains a high level of readiness to protect the territorial integrity of the country.
It is also designed to protect sea lines of communication, maintain maritime situational awareness and thwart potential naval attacks.
The Coastal Fleet’s area of operation stretches from the eastern areas of Gulf of Finland to the northernmost end of the Bay of Bothnia. Separately, the Finnish Defence Forces announced that the Finnish Army will participate in the upcoming multinational Saber Strike 2022 exercise in Estonia. The exercise will focus on developing ground-based air defence interoperability. Last year, Rheinmetall Waffe Munition’s Fronau branch delivered the 300th multi ammunition softkill system (MASS) to the Finnish Navy. MASS systems are designed to protect ships and boats from different threats. (Source: naval-technology.com)
26 Feb 22. US Navy Ships Participate in Bilateral Drills with Italian Navy. The Blue Ridge-class command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) and guided-missile destroyers USS Forest Sherman (DDG 98) and USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) conducted bilateral maneuvering and communication exercises with Italian Navy aircraft carrier ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi (C551), Feb. 22. Bilateral ship maneuvering drills, communication tests and other simulated tactical exercises ensure the navies are able to effectively communicate and work seamlessly together during real-world operations. Giuseppe Garibaldi is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) carrier and based in Taranto, Italy. The ship is equipped with surface-to-air missiles, torpedo tube launchers and defensive close-in weapons system (CIWS) mounts and has the capability to launch and recover AV-8B Harrier II jump jets and a variety of helicopters.
“Garibaldi is a veteran ship and is one of the most important in the Italian Navy, being the first aircraft carrier Italy has had post-WWII,” said Lt. j.g. Gianmatteo Francavilla, an Italian naval officer participating in a one-year foreign exchange program and currently serving as assistant navigator aboard Forrest Sherman.
The maneuvers, executed in accordance with international law, highlight the professionalism and skillful seamanship of the navies involved.
“We are grateful for this opportunity to practice operating together with our Italian counterparts,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Milciades “Tony” Then, commodore of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 22, speaking from aboard Mount Whitney. “I admire the incredible professionalism Garibaldi’s Sailors showed during the exercise.”
Italian Navy Rear Adm. Valentino Rinaldi thanked the U.S. Navy for taking the time to undertake the bilateral drills, said Then.
“Operating in close formation with our Allies and partners is always an excellent way to continue to build interoperability between our navies,” said Cmdr. Lawrence Heyworth IV, executive officer of the USS Forrest Sherman. “The entire bridge team had the utmost confidence in maneuvering close to the Giuseppe Garibaldi.”
The U.S. ships are deployed to the European theater of operations, participating in a range of maritime activities in support of U.S. 6th Fleet and NATO Allies. U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa. (Source: ASD Network)
28 Feb 22. Indian Navy-led multinational exercise MILAN 2022 begins in Bay of Bengal. For the first time, the US Navy is taking part in the exercise, which witnesses participation from over 40 countries. The nine-day India-led multilateral naval exercise MILAN 2022 has commenced in the Bay of Bengal, on 25 February. The US Navy joined navies of India and other countries to participate in the exercise. MILAN 2022 is being held in two phases, with the harbor phase scheduled from 25 February to 28 February and the sea phase from 1 March to 4 March. The theme of this year’s edition is ‘Camaraderie – Cohesion – Collaboration’. It focuses on enhancing professional interaction between navies, boosting operational skills, and learning best practices and procedures. A biennial multilateral naval exercise, MILAN was started by the Indian Navy in 1995 at Andaman and Nicobar Command. In 1995, the exercise had seen participation of four countries. Now, more than 40 countries take part in MILAN, including Bangladesh, Australia, Indonesia, France, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Thailand, UK, US, and Vietnam. This is the first time that the US Navy is participating in the MILAN exercise. US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) and a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft (MPRA) from Patrol Squadron (VP) 47, are participating in this year’s multinational exercise.
USS Fitzgerald commanding officer Commander David Catterall said: “Milan provides an opportunity for like-minded navies that sharing a common vision of a more stable, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, to operate and train alongside one another.
“We are grateful for India’s hosting this important event and their efforts to harmonize our contributions to the region and look forward to ensuring future engagements to build strong alliances and partnerships.”
According to the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD), the latest edition of MILAN focuses on exercises at the sea, surface, sub-surface, air domains and weapon firings.
MILAN 2022 also features operational conferences and seminars on maritime security. The two phases of the event focus on maneuvering drills, tactical training, communications drills, submarine familiarisation, air-defense exercises, multinational replenishment-at-sea, gunnery exercise, and joint warfighting scenarios. Meanwhile, last week, the US Navy’s warships took part in a bilateral maneuvering and communication exercises with Italian Navy aircraft carrier ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi (C551). The US Navy’s Blue Ridge-class command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) and guided-missile destroyers USS Forest Sherman (DDG 98) and USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) took part in the exercises. (Source: naval-technology.com)
26 Feb 22. US Army AH-64 Apache helicopters have arrived in Latvia where they will participate in SABER STRIKE 2022 in the Baltic States. About 20 US Army AH-64 Apache helicopters, part of the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, flew from Katterbach Army Airfield in Ansbach, Germany, where they are forward-deployed, on 24 February. While in Latvia, they will participate in SABER STRIKE 2022, a US-led exercise held in the Baltic States. The Apaches join approximately 300 soldiers from the US Army 173rd Airborne Brigade who had arrived at Rīga International Airport earlier that day. Major Scott Kuhn, a spokesman for US Army Europe and Africa, said “The deployment of these forces is evidence of our strong and unremitting commitment to our NATO Allies and partners.” Twelve additional Apaches will be sent from Greece to Poland. This NATO Multimedia footage includes shots of Apache helicopters arriving at Lielvārde Air Base in Latvia on Thursday 24th February. (Source: www.joint-forces.com)
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About InVeris Training Solutions
InVeris Training Solutions combines an agile approach with an unmatched expertise in training technology to design and deliver customized, cutting-edge, first-rate training solutions that keep military, law enforcement and commercial range customers safe, prepared and ready to serve – Because Seconds Matter™. With a portfolio of technology-enabled training solutions, and a team of 400 employees driven to innovate, InVeris Training Solutions is the global leader in integrated live-fire and virtual weapons training solutions. With its legacy companies, FATS® and Caswell, InVeris Training Solutions has fielded over 15,500 live-fire ranges and 7,500 virtual systems globally during its 95-year history. The Company is headquartered in Suwanee, Georgia and partners with clients in the US and around the world from facilities on five continents.
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