Joint Warrior: Thousands of NATO troops to descend on Scotland for huge military exercise

More than 6,000 military personnel, along with dozens of warships and aircraft, are set to descend on the Scottish coast as part of a huge NATO training exercise.

The project, named Joint Warrior, will involve troops from 11 of the 30 countries that make up membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

Running from October 4 until October 15, the training will form part of Exercise Groupex - a larger operation involving the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth - which began on September 21.

The Royal Navy said all units would "observe current Covid-19 guidelines".

Warships from the UK, US and the Netherlands are forming a carrier “strike group”, led by the HMS Queen Elizabeth. The carrier currently has 15 F-35B stealth fighter jets from the RAF and US Marine Corps onboard, as well as eight Merlin helicopters.

Warships from the UK, US and the Netherlands are forming a carrier “strike group”, led by the HMS Queen Elizabeth.

The carrier currently has 15 F-35B stealth fighter jets from the RAF and US Marine Corps onboard, as well as eight Merlin helicopters.

October's Joint Warrior - coordinated by HM Naval Base Clyde - will largely take place at sea, including in the Moray Firth.

But more than 100 ground troops will also be training on land.

In total, 30 naval units and 81 aircraft will be stationed off the Scottish coast during the exercise, with some jets using Prestwick and Stornoway Airport for transport.

Live firing will be carried out at Cape Wrath Weapons Range in Sutherland and there will be small boat and air defence training in the Moray Firth.

The Royal Navy said public access to GPS services would be down for short periods during the training along Scotland's west coast.

It said the exercises were designed to reflect “contemporary political tensions”, including the war on terror and the threat posed by ISIS.

A statement on the Royal Navy website explained: “This massive multinational war exercise involves warships, aircraft, marines and troops from the UK, NATO and allied forces.

“The exercise doesn’t only allow participating units to hone their specialist roles within a larger war-style setting – it also helps foster vital links between the UK, NATO and other allied militaries.

“The aim is to provide a complex environment in which the participants can train together, honing tactics and skills in preparation for deployment as a Combined Joint Task Force.

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism.

Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director