Devonport Plays Host To NATO Maritime Groups

Sailors from NATO ships show off their flags in Devonport.

A fleet of warships from NATO allies have gathered in Devonport ahead of a major exercise.

The eight ships are part of two NATO maritime groups that are in port ahead of Exercise Joint Warrior off the west coast of Scotland.

The Royal Navy Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel, HMS Cattistock, will be taking part as part of Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1.

Lieutenant Commander Chris Easterbrook of HMS Cattistock believed the crew were looking forward to the opportunity to take part. 

He said:

"This exercise, from the sheer scale of it, will really put my people through their paces."

Joint Warrior is a bi-annual exercise that incorporates all three UK services as well as forces from other nations.

It is one of the largest exercises of its kind in Europe, operating out of Her Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde in Scotland.

NATO describes it as an opportunity to train together across air, land, sea and cyber domains, practising high-end war-fighting between near-peer adversaries.

The vast scale of the exercise will see the involvement more than 10,000 personnel, 35 warships, 5 submarines and 59 aircraft, from 13 countries.

The forces will will be split into two opposing sides, with sea, land and air exercises.

The exercise will be staged off the west coast of Scotland and then down to the South West coast of Wales from 30 March to 11 April.