The Strategist

Scotland Against Joint Warrior



04/14/2015 - 16:08



NATO countries are conducting large-scale exercises Joint Warrior, which involved 55 warships, 70 aircraft and about 13 thousand soldiers in 11-24 April in Scotland. At the same time, hundreds of demonstrators gathered near the base of the British Navy in Faslane, Scotland. They advocate for UK nuclear disarmament.



Petty Officer 2nd Class Karolina Oseguera
Petty Officer 2nd Class Karolina Oseguera
In recent years, nuclear deterrence program "Trident" has been into the center of attention and has already been criticized not for the first time. And now, hundreds of demonstrators gathered near the base of the British Navy in Faslane.

The British nuclear deterrent having four nuclear submarines armed with 58 "Trident" missiles are located on the naval base. The cost of each is £ 17 million. Thus, this program costs the UK almost two and a half billion pounds a year.

Protesters demand the base to be closed. They believe that it does not ensure the security of the United Kingdom, which in turn should show an example to other countries and to close the military facility.

They call the presence of the base ironic, given that Britain is opposed to nuclear weapons possessed, for example, by Iran. The cost of the system arises concern too as billions of pounds would be required to improve Vanguard type outdated submarines.

In all likelihood, the protests reflect the population’s fatigue from the militarization of the country. All of this is happening during the backdrop of the beginning of the largest in Scotland over the last few years armed forces of NATO countries joint exercises. They are called Joint Warrior, and more than a dozen countries are participating in them. The training will last almost until the end of the month, April 24. They will involve 55 ships, 70 aircraft and 13,000 sailors, as well as soldiers and airmen from 15 countries.

- The plan is a significant activity in the sea and in the air at the western and eastern coasts of Scotland, including amphibious landing on the west coast, - said the British Ministry of Defense. The exercise participants will conduct demining and reflection attacks of small craft and train Marines action. At the same time, on Salisbury Plain - the other side of Great Britain, paratroopers will be landing.

A missile USS Jason Dunham, who practiced measures to strengthen cooperation with the Turkish Navy warships, also attended the exercise. This was reported in the headquarters of the US Sixth Fleet.

- ‘Jason Dunham’ took part in working out bilateral cooperation with the Turkish Navy in the Black Sea for April 12 and 13, - says the document.

According to the information, set of exercises, which is being worked out in the first stage of Joint Warrior involves the interaction with the Turkish frigate TCG Turgutreis. Also it is noted that the ships "held joint maneuvers, performed exercises to detect targets and practiced in establishing communication through various means."

At the same time, the second phase of joint maneuvers is aimed to use of anti-submarine measures involving Turkish submarine TCG Yildiray for educational purposes.

source: rt.com