20 Sep 23. NATO Exercises with New Maritime Unmanned Systems in Portugal. Two NATO-sponsored exercises will take place in Portugal during the second half of September to evaluate new unmanned naval drones. REPMUS 23 and DYNAMIC MESSENGER 23 are taking place around the Troia Peninsula. (NATO photo)
Two exercises focusing on the integration of new maritime technologies into NATO operations and the ability of autonomous underwater vehicles to operate together are being held in Portugal this month.
Starting on Monday (18 September 2023) the NATO-led exercise Dynamic Messenger 23 focuses on integrating Maritime Unmanned Systems into operations, including personnel, training and readiness issues. Dynamic Messenger 23 gathers more than 2000 civilian and military personnel on shore and on board ships as part of the exercise. Fourteen NATO Allies, including the host nation Portugal, are participating in the exercise, together with partner Sweden.
This is the second iteration of the Dynamic Messenger series that started in 2022. The exercise is conducted under the joint leadership of NATO’s Allied Command Transformation in the United States and NATO’s Allied Maritime Command MARCOM in Northwood, UK.
Exercise REPMUS 23 (Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping with Maritime Unmanned Systems) takes place in the same region and focuses on capability development and interoperability. REPMUS is led by the host nation Portugal with NATO as a key player since 2019. The exercise is co-organised by the NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE), the University of Porto’s Laboratory for Underwater Systems and Technology (LSTS), and NATO’s Maritime Unmanned Systems Initiative (MUSI). Fifteen NATO nations are participating in the exercise, along with partners Ireland and Sweden.
Both REPMUS 23 and DYNAMIC MESSENGER 23 have developed significant partnerships between the private sector and academia, and provide guidance for technology advancements, operational concepts, doctrine, and future work programmes. Both exercises are being held around the Troia Peninsula, in Portugal.
Exercise Dynamic Messenger 23 takes place from 18 to 29 September 2023 and Exercise REPMUS 23 takes place from 11 to 22 September 2023. (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/NATO)
21 Sep 23. Elbit Systems UK’s Joint Fires Synthetic Trainer delivers over 4700 training hours. Elbit Systems UK’s Joint Fires Synthetic Trainer (JFST) has officially achieved Initial Operating Capability (IOC). JFST provides immersive training utilising state-of-the-art simulation to provide real-time training for British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel who integrate Joint Fires, including both surface-to-surface and air-to-surface fires.
Successfully integrated at the Royal School of Artillery, Larkhill, and the Air Ground Operations School (formerly Joint Forward Air Control Training and Standardisation Unit) at RAF Leeming, JFST has delivered over 4700 hours of training.
Having been deployed at these sites since 2022, over 300 service personnel have been trained from both the British and Allied forces, including those preparing for immediate front-line deployments.
The Royal School of Artillery at Larkhill has five operational systems in place, including an armoured capability provided by the mounted version of the trainer. Three systems are in operation at AGOS of which two are simulator domes providing 270-degree vision, resulting in a high fidelity, immersive training experience.
As part of the IOC process, Interim Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) accreditation in accordance with US and NATO JTAC regulations has been conducted by the UK Joint Air Land Organisation (JALO). It is envisaged that the US and NATO Combined Standardisation Team will conduct validation and subsequently issue full accreditation on their visit to the UK in November 2023. The Elbit Systems UK open architecture which underpins the entire JFST will allow integration to enable joint coalition and partner exercises, as well as customisation for potential export customers.
Richard Smart, the Joint Effects Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for JFST said: “We are delighted to have worked in close collaboration with DE&S and ESUK to develop and deploy such a highly capable synthetic environment which is a game changer for Joint Fires training.”
Martin Fausset, CEO of Elbit Systems UK said: “This is an important milestone in the delivery of such a complex project. Elbit Systems UK is delighted to have delivered IOC. We look forward to the opportunities and benefits JFST will continue to bring to the UK MOD and our Allies.”
14 Sep 23. 2Excel Aviation and Partner Metrea Team Up on 3 Year Contract to Deliver Close Air Support and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Training for the UK Armed Forces
- 2Excel Aviation will deliver service using newly-acquired Diamond DA62 aircraft, with reduced environmental footprint
- Three-year duration with capability to support military training in UK, Europe and deployments around the world
- Future potential for technology upgrades during the lifetime of the contract
Delivering superb value-for-money for taxpayers, the flexible training is design to evolve to meet modern day threats and involves emulating fast jets, uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) and other aircraft which are called in by troops on the ground to strike targets, provide a ‘show of force’ or pattern of life above the battlefield. It is an essential requirement that key troops within UK Land and Marine forces develop and maintain their expertise and are ready for action when needed to protect the UK’s national interests.
2Excel and Metrea deploy high-tech, low-speed aircraft equipped with high-definition cameras, military grade navigation and communications systems and downlinks to provide a live emulation that looks and feels real to the troops on the ground and is much more cost-effective than using frontline aircraft.
2Excel has recently acquired new Diamond DA62 aircraft to supplement its existing PA-31 Navajo fleet alongside a Cessna 406 from Metrea to deliver this critical service.
Chris Norton, Co-founder and Director of 2Excel, said: “Supporting our military colleagues in maintaining their readiness at home and abroad is in our DNA and heritage. We are proud to have been selected to continue supporting the training of troops on the ground with Close Air Support and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance emulation, a task we’ve been delivering for the past 16 years. Our experienced and accredited ex-military pilots support this training so that Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) can experience real-world friction and the environmental challenges that exist during live operations.”
(Source: ASD Network)
18 Sep 23. Russia’s war in Ukraine overshadows NATO’s 2023 northern Baltic Sea drill. Russia’s war in Ukraine has injected a dose of grim realism into an annual NATO naval drill in the northern Baltic Sea as Western forces practice for the first time how to respond to any Russian strike on the region.
The two-week Northern Coasts exercise is unfolding in seas off Latvia and Estonia, NATO members that border Russia to the east and have felt more exposed to threats from their former Soviet master since Russian forces invaded Ukraine last year.
The drills kicked off on Sept. 9 and involve some 30 ships and over 3,000 personnel from all NATO countries in the Baltic region plus soon-to-be member Sweden and non-Baltic allies the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium and France.
They are practicing amphibious operations and strikes from sea to land, and securing routes through the Baltic.
German Rear Admiral and Exercise Director Stephan Haisch said Russia’s presence in the Baltic Sea, including frigates and an intelligence-collecting vessel, was normal and expected, but that this year’s Northern Coasts drills had moved away from artificial scenarios towards reality.
The U.S. Navy’s 200-metre (660-foot) Mesa Verde is taking part, designed to transport and land some 800 Marines in an amphibious assault.
“For many years we had a kind of artificial scenario. Right now, we are a bit closer to the realistic meaning, the geography and the partners and the opponent. So, this is more realistic than it was before,” Haisch said aboard the Mesa Verde.
Captain Maris Polencs, Latvia’s naval commander, said it had a need to develop future sea mining and de-mining capabilities in light of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“We’re coming to see mines as an actual threat in the Baltic Sea if a similar conflict arises in this region,” Polencs said.
It is the first exercise of this size that the German navy, the biggest Western navy in the Baltic, has commanded from its new maritime operations headquarters in Rostock, at the southwestern end of the Baltic.
Germany is prepared to provide the facility to NATO to oversee alliance operations in the Baltic in case of a conflict with Russia.
Finland joined NATO earlier this year and Sweden’s entry bid is expected to be approved soon, both moves ditching generations of non-alignment in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This has radically altered the strategic posture along the Baltic Sea, where much of the coast had belonged to neutral states since Napoleonic times.
Now, apart from Russia’s own small sections of Baltic coast, mainly the enclave of Kaliningrad sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania, the entire shoreline will soon be NATO territory.
Next year, NATO will hold its largest collective defence drills since the Cold War ended in 1990, with over 40,000 troops set to take part in the exercise Steadfast Defender in Germany, Poland and the three Baltic republics. (Source: Reuters)
19 Sep 23. US and Danish forces unite through missile drills. In a display of alliance, US Naval Forces Europe and Danish Defence Forces join to conduct advanced missile launcher exercises.
Demonstrating a commitment to transatlantic security and defence interoperability, US Naval Forces Europe, in collaboration with the Danish Defense Forces, are set to commence advanced convoy protection drills utilising the SM-6 missile launcher.
The SM-6 missile system can intercept airborne threats, including the interception of ballistic missiles during their terminal phase of flight. Its dual-capability design ensures precise engagement of stationary terrestrial targets and dynamic maritime adversaries.
The containerised configuration of the SM-6 launcher enhances the operational flexibility of the US Navy, enabling swift deployment and utilisation across theatres of operation. Commencing the week of 18 September in Bornholm, Denmark, this exercise underscores the United States’ dedication to safeguarding its interests and those of its allies.
This venture, hosted on Danish soil, reaffirms Denmark’s strategic significance as a key ally in maintaining regional stability. The exercise cements the enduring defence partnership between the United States and Denmark and underscores the shared commitment to mutual security objectives and co-operative defence efforts.
Together, these two nations stand united in an ever-evolving global security landscape, demonstrating the strength of collaboration in defence.
James Marques, aerospace, defence, and security analyst at GlobalData, provided background on why the drills are happening: “The SM-6 is a very versatile air defence missile, and making sure that allied navies who use the same weapons understand how to use their capabilities in concert is important.
If allied ships have to sail together in a combat situation, they will rely on one another to protect shared airspace around the group, so coordination to correctly use ammunition is important.”
Manufactured by RTX for the US Navy, the US Navy reached initial operational capability with the SM-6 missile in 2013, following the successful installation onboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile vessel USS Kidd (DDG 100) in San Diego, California, US. (Source: naval-technology.com)
19 Sep 23. South China Sea: ASEAN’s inaugural military drills unlikely to resolve key differences within bloc. On 19 September, troops from ASEAN member countries launched the bloc’s first-ever joint maritime exercise, ASEX 01-Natuna, underscoring growing defence co-operation among members and efforts to elevate ‘ASEAN centrality’. The exercise will run from Batam Island to the Natuna Islands (Indonesia) until 23 September and will focus on non-combat activities for maritime security, including joint patrols and humanitarian and disaster relief, among others. The exercise follows other drills between ASEAN member states and Australia, Japan, the UK and the US, reflecting the bloc’s growing defence partnerships with Western forces amid persistent tensions in the South China Sea, including growing assertiveness by China. However, key policy differences among the ASEAN member states will remain, including competing territorial claims in the South China Sea dispute and differing stances on the crisis in Myanmar. ASEAN members will likely continue to seek defence and security co-operation with other countries to address the threats from China, though the prospects of an agreement on the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea remain remote, driving regional tensions. (Source: Sibylline)
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