NATO exercise draws to a close

A MAJOR military exercise which has played out in the skies over Scotland will come to an end today.

Aircraft from all three services have been training with their NATO counterparts during the annual Exercise Joint Warrior, which this year ran from March 30.

Operating out of a number of military and civilian airfields, crews have been put through their paces in air-to-air and air-to-surface combat.

RAF Lossiemouth saw Typhoons from 1(F) Squadron and 6 Squadron launch in a variety of complex missions involving the F-35B Lightning II, operating in its first ever Exercise Joint Warrior.

The station has also been hosting helicopters from the United States Navy and Royal Navy, which have been operating at the RAF ranges at Tain and with a variety of ships.

This year, 13 NATO nations, six UK Joint Expeditionary Force partners, and Australia participated in the exercise, which is designed to improve the defence capabilities of the UK and her allies.

Participants conduct joint operations in a range of scenarios. This has involved air, surface, sub-surface, sea control and maritime security roles.

Joint Warrior provides a unique opportunity to integrate a large number of maritime vessels with their colleagues in the air.

This year, maritime patrol aircraft from France, Germany, and Norway have been operating out of Prestwick Airport, formally HMS Gannett.

And the US Navy has been operating the P-8A Poseidon aircraft, which will enter RAF service in October, with the first RAF Poseidon expected to arrive at Lossiemouth early next year.

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