18 Jan 24. NATO to hold biggest drills since Cold War with 90,000 troops.
NATO is launching its largest exercise since the Cold War, rehearsing how U.S. troops could reinforce European allies in countries bordering Russia and on the alliance’s eastern flank if a conflict were to flare up with a “near-peer” adversary.
Some 90,000 troops are due to join the Steadfast Defender 2024 drills that will run through May, the alliance’s top commander Chris Cavoli said on Thursday.
More than 50 ships from aircraft carriers to destroyers will take part, as well as more than 80 fighter jets, helicopters and drones and at least 1,100 combat vehicles including 133 tanks and 533 infantry fighting vehicles, NATO said.
Cavoli said the drills would rehearse NATO’s execution of its regional plans, the first defence plans the alliance has drawn up in decades, detailing how it would respond to a Russian attack.
NATO did not mention Russia by name in its announcement. But its top strategic document identifies Russia as the most significant and direct threat to NATO members’ security.
“Steadfast Defender 2024 will demonstrate NATO’s ability to rapidly deploy forces from North America and other parts of the alliance to reinforce the defence of Europe,” NATO said.
The reinforcement will occur during a “simulated emerging conflict scenario with a near-peer adversary”, Cavoli told reporters in Brussels after a two-day meeting of national chiefs of defence.
The last exercises of a similar size were Reforger – during the Cold War in 1988 with 125,000 participants – and Trident Juncture in 2018 with 50,000 participants, according to NATO.
The troops taking part in the exercises, which will involve simulations of getting personnel to Europe as well exercises on the ground, will come from NATO countries and Sweden, which hopes to join the alliance soon.
Allies signed off on the regional plans at their 2023 Vilnius summit, ending a long era in which NATO had seen no need for large-scale defence plans as Western countries fought smaller wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and felt certain post-Soviet Russia no longer posed an existential threat.
During the second part of the Steadfast Defender exercise, a special focus will be on the deployment of NATO’s quick reaction force to Poland on the alliance’s eastern flank.
Other major locations of the drills will be the Baltic states which are seen as most at risk from a potential Russian attack, Germany – a hub for incoming reinforcements – and countries on the fringes of the alliance such as Norway and Romania. (Source: Google/Reuters)
18 Jan 24. 371st Special Operations Combat Training Squadron Expands Training Scope. The 371st Special Operations Combat Training Squadron, part of the Air Force Special Operations Command, has significantly enhanced its training program by implementing the SOTU-192 course at Cannon Air Force Base. The Mobile Training Team (MTT) led this expansion, focusing on a mission sustainment team. In the past quarter, two iterations of the SOTU-192 were conducted, effectively training fifty Air Commandos for deployment.
This specialized training encompassed a wide array of ground combat skills, including land navigation, combatives, practical weapons training, and tactical combat casualty care. The course also covered active shooter and care under fire scenarios, along with awareness training for Special Operations Task Groups and Joint Task Forces. This broad spectrum of training prepares personnel for diverse future operational environments.
Colonel Robert Johnston, the commander of the Air Commando Development Center-Provisional (ACDC-P), emphasized the course’s practical, hands-on approach. The training scenarios are designed to sharpen skills, foster critical thinking, and enable quick adaptation to operational needs, staying ahead of adversaries. The 371st SOCTS, under the ACDC-P, is responsible for the Programmed Ground Training of Air Force Special Operations Forces, catering to both core and non-core SOF personnel.
(Source: https://www.sofx.com/)
18 Jan 24. Training event successfully integrates fifth-generation platforms to prepare warfighters for the future battlespace. Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NYSE: NOC) Distributed Mission Operations Network (DMON) enabled the Combat Air Force (CAF) Distributed Training Center (DTC) at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia to successfully execute a large-force, virtual training event. DMON Argonne 23 provided training against peer adversaries in a complex, multi-domain threat scenario using networked aircraft simulators.
DMON delivers secure connectivity and network interoperability between unique simulator platforms across the globe, allowing aircrews to train together in a high-fidelity virtual environment.
“During this exercise, DMON connected fourth- and fifth-generation fighters from different bases to train as they would in live combat operations, allowing aircrews to prepare for the realistic tactical problems they may face,” said Rebecca Torzone, vice president and general manager, combat systems and mission readiness, Northrop Grumman. “DMON Argonne 23 successfully demonstrated how our immersive environments deliver on our commitment to prime warfighters for future Joint All-Domain Command and Control operations.”
For the first time, DMON Argonne 23 successfully connected multiple F-22 and F-35 aircraft in a distributed virtual training environment. Additionally, the Northrop Grumman-staffed CAF DTC developed a robust virtual battlespace environment, mission planning and execution materials, and supported the scheduling, briefing, execution and debriefing. Operators could make changes in real time and adapt scenarios to mission training requirements.
Over the course of four days, the event hosted 44 sites, 97 cockpits and trained 196 personnel operating F-22, F-35, F-16, A-10, MQ-9, E-3G, RC-135, CRC, JTAC and the Navy’s EA-18G platform simulators.
DMON is a proven, interoperable training network that connects legacy and emerging systems, and could serve as a foundational platform to support future requirements and capabilities such as the Joint Simulation Environment. Through “digital twins” of the battlespace, DMON can create a realistic, scalable environment for mission rehearsals and training. Additionally, these virtual replicas combined with the ability to network a diverse set of nodes saves resources because there is no need to deploy people and equipment.
Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with the capabilities they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers’ toughest problems, our employees define possible every day.
17 Jan 24. Germany, South Africa kick-off Exercise Good Hope VIII next week. After a six-year hiatus compounded by the global challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, South Africa and Germany are set to reignite their maritime partnership with the commencement of the eighth iteration of Exercise Good Hope. The joint naval exercise is scheduled to commence in Saldanha Bay, Western Cape, next week. The last edition of Exercise Good Hope took place in Germany in February/March 2017, with the South African frigate SAS Amatola being the sole participant from the nation. This year’s exercise, however, will be more modest in scale due to real-world commitments affecting the German Navy’s ability to send vessels to South Africa.
Despite these constraints, the German Navy (Deutsche Marine) remains committed to maintaining the momentum of the partnership. The German Navy Marine Reaction Unit will arrive in Cape Town via air, underscoring the dedication to sustaining the collaborative spirit of Exercise Good Hope.
Captain Jaco Theunissen of the South African Navy noted the biennial nature of Exercise Good Hope, where South Africa assumes the role of the host and leading nation.
“The exercise will be a tactical exercise consisting of mainly maritime assets but will be supported by land, air and military health services components,” Theunissen previously explained.
Captain (Navy) Thomas Burchert, the German Defence Attaché to South Africa, emphasised the significance of continuing the partnership, expressing optimism that the exercise’s scale might evolve in the coming years.
“We want to keep the momentum and the partnership,” he told defenceWeb. “That’s why we’re doing it is on a small scale basis. In two years, it might look completely different again.”
The German contingent will engage with various South African units, including the Maritime Reaction Squadron of the South African Navy. The exercise will involve diverse activities such as area searches, vessel boarding and seizure operations and fast roping exercises. These simulations aim to enhance interoperability, foster mutual understanding and refine the capabilities of both naval forces in joint and combined operations.
The opening ceremony on 21 January will mark the commencement of Exercise Good Hope VIII, followed by a week-long serialized programme. The subsequent week will witness a scenario-based free-play exercise, providing participants with an opportunity to apply their acquired skills and adapt to dynamic and unpredictable situations. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
15 Jan 24. UK Commandos Mobilize for NATO’s Largest Arctic Exercise.
Britain’s Commandos are preparing for a significant NATO exercise in the Arctic, marking the alliance’s most extensive training operation in the region in recent years. Over a thousand Commandos, encompassing various elements of the UK Commando Force, are being deployed to northern Norway. This deployment is part of a three-month-long rigorous preparation process, adapting to one of the most challenging environments on Earth, where temperatures can drop to as low as -50°C.
Camp Viking: The Operations Hub
The Royal Marines have established Camp Viking near Skjold, 40 miles south of Tromsø, which will serve as their operations base for the next decade. This camp is crucial for their ongoing role in the Arctic, continuing a tradition of cold weather and mountain warfare that dates back to the 1940s. The strong historical bond between Norway and the UK is further reinforced by this establishment.
Exercise Objectives and International Collaboration
The primary focus of the Commandos will be to enhance their survival, movement, and combat capabilities in the Arctic terrain. The upcoming exercise aims to test the collective defense capabilities of NATO allies, particularly in protecting the Nordic regions (Norway, Sweden, and Finland) from potential invasion threats. Major Ric Cole, a spokesperson for the Commando Force, emphasized the strategic importance of the Arctic trade routes and the necessity of supporting NATO and Scandinavian allies. This exercise will see collaboration between the UK, US, Dutch, Finnish, and Swedish forces, including Special Operations Forces and Coastal Rangers, highlighting an evolving international defense partnership in the region.
Scale of the Exercise
The exercise, now renamed Nordic Response (formerly Cold Response), is expected to involve more than 20,000 NATO troops, including 50 warships, submarines, over 110 aircraft, and participants from 14 nations. This expanded scope of the exercise reflects the changing geopolitical landscape, with Finland’s recent NATO membership and Sweden’s anticipated joining.
Pre-Exercise Training and Logistics
Before the main exercise in March, the Commandos will engage in extensive cold weather training, including survival skills enhancement and live firing drills integrating artillery and air strikes. The logistics of the deployment are complex, with the Commando Logistic Regiment setting up the necessary infrastructure at Camp Viking. The base, not a permanent facility, requires annual transportation of vehicles and equipment, and includes accommodation for 1,000 personnel, medical facilities, a canteen, and workshops. (Source: https://www.sofx.com/)