Joint Warrior is a biannual, multilateral, multi-warfare exercise that incorporates sea surface, airborne, and land scenarios to enhance interoperability between Allies and partners, strengthening the collective defence of the Alliance while demonstrating unity and resolve.
As a NATO task group, we are already accustomed to working in a multinational environment, however, Joint Warrior fostered an increased level of interoperability with a broader range of assets and capabilities to achieve the mission as a unified team. The exercise was a huge success thanks to the exceptional planning by the Joint Training and Exercise Planning Staff and the dedication of the crews involved
Maritime units included the ships of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 and Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1, the Royal Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales Task Group, and an Amphibious Task Group composed of vessels from Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Together with a significant Royal Norwegian Navy contribution, Allies conducted a diverse range of exercises allowing crews to practice tactics, techniques and procedures across multiple nations and platforms.
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NATO’s two northern maritime groups trained with multinational forces during the UK-led exercise Joint Warrior 24-1 held in the North Sea and Norwegian Sea from Feb. 24 to March 4, as part of Steadfast Defender 24.
“As a NATO task group, we are already accustomed to working in a multinational environment,” Commander, SNMG1 Spanish Navy Rear Admiral Joaquin Ruiz Escagedo said. “However, Joint Warrior fostered an increased level of interoperability with a broader range of assets and capabilities to achieve the mission as a unified team. The exercise was a huge success thanks to the exceptional planning by the Joint Training and Exercise Planning Staff and the dedication of the crews involved.”
Around 20,000 personnel, nearly 50 vessels including aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, destroyers, frigates, patrol vessels, minehunters, submarines, and auxiliary ships; and a range of aircraft from maritime patrol aircraft and helicopters to fifth-generation fighter jets converged for the exercise. Fourteen nations participated in the exercise including Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Events included air defence, gunnery, anti-submarine, and anti-surface exercises, amphibious landings, live-fire scenarios, evacuations, fixed- and rotary-wing flight operations, and various logistical operations such as replenishments-at-sea. Mine clearance operations ensured freedom of navigation within the sea lines of communication and the protection of Norwegian territorial waters.
The scenario for Joint Warrior is designed to reflect political tensions in a fictitious, regionalized conflict, resulting in a build-up of forces from the Allied side. While crews battled within the scenario, they also battled environmental challenges due to seasonally cold temperatures and a constantly changing sea state.
“Joint Warrior presented a very realistic training scenario in the harsh environment of the North Sea and Norwegian Sea,” Commander, SNMCMG1 German Navy Commander Artur Krüger said. “Operating in these conditions presents challenges, but this exercise demonstrated our crews’ readiness and resolve to execute the mission.”
Participating ships from SNMG1 were: Spanish Navy ESPS Almirante Juan de Borbon (F102), ESPS Cantabria (A15), German Navy FGS Bonn (A413), and French Navy FS Normandie (D651).
Participating ships from SNMCMG1 were: German Navy FGS Donau (A516), Estonian Navy ENS Ugandi (M315), Royal Netherlands Navy HNLMS Zierikzee (M862), French Navy FS Andromede (M643), Belgian Navy BNS Crocus (M917), and Royal Norwegian Navy HNOMS Maaloy (M342).
Joint Warrior precedes Norwegian-led exercise Nordic Response. Both exercises form part of the Steadfast Defender exercise series, the largest NATO-led multi-domain exercise in Europe since the Cold War. Steadfast Defender runs between January and May and includes more than 90,000 troops.
SNMG1 and SNMCMG1 are two of NATO’s four standing maritime task groups. These task groups form the core maritime capability of NATO’s Very-High Readiness Joint Task Force (Maritime) (VJTF-M) and provide a continuous maritime capability to execute NATO missions across the spectrum of operations, demonstrating solidarity and strengthening the bond and interoperability between Allied naval forces.