British Army prepares for Nato's biggest show of force since Cold War - YouTube - Forces News

A large display by the British Army occurred as they mobilised for a call-up to the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF).The total number of military personnel in the VJTF is 6,000.They are NATO's spearhead force.With 500 troops and 162 armoured and protected mobility vehicles,including Foxhounds,Jackals and Land Rovers,the bustle surprised residents of the East Midlands,England.Their destination is Poland,where they will participate in Exercise Polish Dragon,one of 11 Exercises comprising Exercise Steadfast Defender 24.

Cold War 2:US to Return Nukes to UK Air Base - plus what the Baltic States are implementing

According to research conducted by BBC News and the British news outlet The Telegraph,the US will soon be restarting its nuclear mission at RAF Lakenheath,England.The original mission was terminated in 2008 when Cold War tensions seemed to be easing.Ironically,that same year Russia invaded and occupied two Republic of Georgia territories,South Ossetia and Ingushetia,where it maintains a military presence to this day.In 2014,Russia-backed militants took over two Ukrainian Oblasts,Luhansk and Donetsk.On 30 September 2022,following its brutal invasion of Ukraine that February,Russia annexed these areas,and also annexed two cities,Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.There are no formal boundaries to these annexations.Russia had previously annexed Crimea,Ukraine on 18 March 2014.*The return of B61 thermonuclear bombs to RAF Lakenheath is reportedly imminent.Today,the West is gripped with the prospect that Russia and Belarus may lash out at NATO.There is uncertainty about Russia's and Belarus' intentions,and anxiety about the unpredictability of these adversaries.NATO is consequently processing an upgrade of its nuclear deterrent forces,which are currently assigned to air bases in Belgium,Germany,Italy,the Netherlands and Turkiye.This programme involves the US nuclear sharing programme that is a dual key arrangement,with both the US and the host NATO Ally having to sign off on nuclear missions.The latest version of the B61 is the B61-12.It is calibrated to a wide range of kilotonnages,up to a level amounting to several Hiroshima blasts,but also has many levels far below that blast magnitude.The documents obtained by the BBC include several contracts for facility construction at Lakenheath,including troop shelters needed for the imminent nuclear mission.A guardhouse for US Air Force Security Forces is to have ballisitic shielding.Other contracts awarded are for a Surety Dormitory,or nuclear weapons bunker,and hardened ballistic security shelters with bulletproof glass that can stop a .30 caliber projectile.Predictably,there have been anti-nuclear protests just outside Lakenheath.*The nuclear mission has been assigned to two squadrons of US Air Force F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters deployed to Lakenheath as part of the 48th Fighter Wing.The F-35As were flight tested with the B61-12.The mission involves training for,and,if necessary,executing the nuclear mission.*Both the US and the UK declined to confirm or deny whether there are nuclear weapons at Lakenheath.*Meanwhile,the Baltic States are fortifying their borders with Russia and Belarus as a first line of defence.For its part,Estonia is building a massive complex of 600 bunkers along its border with Russia,each bunker to house up to six troops.Russia says it will respond to Finland's hardening of its border with Russia,as well as to the renuclearisation of RAF Lakenheath.Most recently,some NATO leaders have expressed concern about the security of the rear areas of NATO,such as those deep inside Germany,whose Bundeswehr is the second largest military in NATO.These need to be better protected as well,not just the Eastern Flank.

US Army, NATO. American paratroopers during combat training in Croatia.

The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the Army's rapid reaction force in Europe.

Britain's NATO influence ‘at risk’ if military does not strengthen | Lord Darroch - Times Radio

Lord Darroch is a former UK Ambassador to the US.

Lockheed Martin Sees Likely Delay In F-35 Tech Refresh-3 To Third Quarter - Avionics International = Aviation Today

Lockheed Martin Sees Likely Delay In F-35 Tech Refresh-3 To Third Quarter - Avionics International: Development of an upgraded software capability for the F-35 fighter aircraft is maturing but more slowly than expected and while Lockheed Martin is still aiming to deliver the third Technology […] Lckheed Martin (LMT)

Daily Podcast: Could Britons really be called up to serve in the army? Sky News

Steadfast Defender 24:UK Makes Major Commitment

The UK Ministry of Defence laid out its plans in the massive NATO Exercise Steadfast Defender 24 on 15 January 2024.Said the Ministry:In the context of our ever more dangerous world,the Secretary of State for Defence,Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP,will deliver a major speech at Lancaster House today to set out his vision for the UK to deter threats,lead among Allies and defend the UK...the Defence Secretary is expected to announce that in the first half of 2024,20,000 service personnel from the Royal Navy,the British Army,and the Royal Air Force will deploy across Europe to take part in Exercise Steadfast Defender 24.*The drills will see the UK Armed Forces join 70,000 other NATO troops from 31 NATO Allies and candidate Sweden to operate across multiple countries coinciding with the Alliance's 75th Anniversary.This deployment will feature the RAF's most advanced fighter jets and surveillance aircraft,the RN's most advanced warships and submarines,and the full range of the Army's capabilities-from logistics to armour to Special Operations Forces.*Mr.Shapps' remarks are expected to say:We are in a new era and we must be prepared to deter our enemies,lead our Allies and be prepared to defend our nations whenever the call comes.Today our adversaries are busily rebuilding their barriers.Old enemies are reanimated.Battle lines are being redrawn.The tanks are literally on Ukraine's lawn.And the foundations of the world are being shaken to their core.We stand at a crossroads...providing vital reassurance against the Putin menace.*Mr.Shapps noted that deploying this year is 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team...which will be operating across Europe to deliver one of the largest NATO deployments since the Cold War.Steadfast Defender 24 will deliver on the promises made at the 2023 NATO Vilnius Summit.The RN will be deploying eight warships and submarines and more than 2,000 Sailors.A UK carrier Strike Group,centred on a QE Class aircraft carrier and her air group of F-35B Lightning jets and helicopters,will operate as part of a potent Naval Force of Allied warships and submarines in the North Atlantic,the Norwegian Sea,and the Baltics.More than 400 Royal Marines Commandos will be deployed to the Arctic Circle at the heart of our Allied Amphibious Task Group designed to land in the High North and defend the Alliance in one of the world's harshest environments.Sixteen thousand troops from the British Army will be deployed across Eastern Europe from February to June 2024,taking with them tanks,artillery,helicopters,and parachutes.There will be live-fire manoeuvres,parachute jumps,an Army and Navy joint helicopter force,and Army Special Operations Forces on deployment.The British Army will deploy to test and strengthen the readiness of the UK's Land Forces in defending NATO,and to bolster its ability to operate jointly with Allied Armed Forces.*The RAF will be making use of some of its most cutting-edge aircraft,including F-35B Lightning attack aircraft and Poseidon P8 surveillance aircraft.The RAF will practise flying simulated conflict scenarios against near-peer adversaries,proving its ability to defer and defend against threats.*It is known that SD24 will practise a reinforcement of Europe from North America across the Atlantic Ocean.*More context:There is suspicion that Russia has not only been jamming Ukraine with Electronic Warfare,but NATO Allies as well.The Washington think tank Institue for the Study of War (ISW) noted high levels of GPS interference in Poland on 10 and 16 January 2024,and in the Baltic Sea Region between 25 and 27 December 2023.Several analysts believe it was likely Russia attempting to wage hybrid warfare against NATO.The ISW also noted that Putin has been sharply critical of the Baltic States recently for their perceived mistreatment of ethnic Russians living in them-an expansionist vision of Russian Federation sovereignty.ISW said that Putin:notably amplified a long-standing Kremlin effort to set information conditions for future escalations against the Baltic countries,likely as part of his wider effort to weaken NATO.

Joint Press Conference for NATO Chiefs of Defence meeting, 18 January 2024

Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Christopher Cavoli,US Army;Royal Netherlands Navy Admiral Rob Bauer;Bundeswehr General Christian Bida

Pacific Perspective:JGSDF and US Army. Allied airborne operations in the New Year.

Lockheed Martin (LMT)

NATO:Tabloid's Disclosure of Chilling Russian Intentions is for a Bundeswehr Training Exercise

A chilling disclosure by the German tabloid Bild suggested that Russia would escalate the Ukraine war to a hybrid war against NATO Allies in 2024 that could then lead to an attack against NATO Allies in 2025.NATO has responded to the disclosure by saying it refers to a Bundeswehr (German military) training scenario.The escalation was to begin in the Eastern Flank in 2024 and intensify to a major armed conflict in Europe in 2025.In fact,Russia is planning a major military buildup of its army from 1 to 1.5 million Soldiers.Recently,Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened Ukraine with an unrecoverable blow that would annihilate Ukrainian statehood.*The secret document obtained by Bild said there would be a Russian spring 2024 offensive against Ukraine,followed by a hybrid war against the Baltic States with cyberattacks and other hybrid warfare tactics.In October 2024,Russia will build up its Kaliningrad enclave with troops and missiles.In December 2024,Russia will instigate border conflicts in the Suwalki Gap,a rural area of Northeastern Poland that borders Lithuania and is seen as a NATO vunerability as it is the fastest route between Russia and Belarus.Post-US 2024 Presidential elections and the vulnerability of a presidential transition,Russia will invade a NATO Ally,possibly assisted by Belarus.Thirty days later,NATO will carry out large reinforcements to its Eastern Flank.Indeed,a Sulwalki Gap conflict engineered by Russia could cause many casualties.In a NATO D-day scenario,300,000 NATO troops would be deployed to the Eastern Flank,including 30,000 Bundeswehr personnel.*Possibly this scenario is what led Sweden to warn its people to prepare for a crisis or conflict in Europe.It contains realistic elements that were perhaps garnered by the Intelligence Community.

Task Force Marne M1A3 Abrams tank crews conduct live-fire exercise in Lithuania

Task Force Marne M1A3 Abrams tank crews conduct live-fire exercise in Lithuania: U.S. Army Sgt. Miranda Sandoval, a tank armor crewman with Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, gives an interview about a platoon live-fire exercise at Camp Herkus, Lithuania, Jan. 14, 2024. The 3rd Infantry Division’s mission in Europe is to engage in multinational training and exercises across the continent, working alongside NATO Allies and regional security partners to provide combat-credible forces to V Corps, America’s forward deployed corps in Europe. (U.S. Army video by Sgt. Alex Soliday)

US Army, NATO. American soldiers and armored vehicles during combat exercises in Slovakia

USAF. U-2 Dragon Lady high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft prepares for flight

From maintenance by Airmen and Lockheed Martin Skunk Works contractors to launch and recovery,a legendary aircraft completes a mission.The CIA has its own U-2 fleet.*Lockheed Martin (LMT)

U-2S Dragon Lady Aircraft Deployed to Protect NATO's Eastern Flank

According to the essanews.com website,a Lockheed Martin U-2S Dragon Lady aircraft was spotted over Denmark on 5 January 2024.Another U-2S was spotted over Poland in December 2023.These are part of operations mainly focused on the Eastern Baltic Sea Region,including surveillance of the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad between Poland and Lithuania,plus mainland Russia,Finland and Belarus.This surveillance of Russian movements is considered vital to the defence of NATO Allies.In particular,the US Air Force needs to gather intelligence about Russian activities intended to disrupt the lines of communication of NATO Allies.*The U-2S has recently received upgrades such as advanced communications;navigation;imagery technology;avionics gear;and new mission computers compatible with the new Open Mission Systems (OMS) standard of the US Armed Forces.*The Department of the Air Force (DAF) plans to retire its fleet of U-2S aircraft and the uncrewed RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft in favour of new uncrewed aircraft because of the high expense of operating the U-2S and the need to accelerate technologically.*The DAF wants to do this by 2026.One likely candidate for the programme is the Northrop Grumman RQ-180 stealth uncrewed aircraft,which is a highly classified project.Secretary of Defense General Lloyd J. Austin III,US Army retired,has signed a waiver to make the move a reality.The Air Force has a fleet of 27 U-2S aircraft,including a small number of TU-2S two seat trainers.Congressional regulations prevent the retirement of the U-2S and RQ-4 Global Hawk unless they are replaced with a capability equal to or exceeding the current fleets.Congress reserves the right to limit the retirement of the U-2S and RQ-4 if it is dissatisfied with the justification of the waiver.*The DAF told The War Zone publication that:it must move into the future and begin to field more capable systems providing decision-quality intelligence throughout competition,crisis,and conflict.The DAF is developing and investing in various technologies to address critical National Defense Strategy (NDS) priorities focused on Great Power Competition.The DAF plans to invest in more survivable and persistent space-based sensors,along with exisiting and planned Joint Force assets.The ability to win future high-end conflicts requires accepting short-term risks by divesting legacy Intelligence,Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets that offer limited capability against our pacing challenge.*The RQ-180 is thought to resemble other Northrop Grumman stealth aircraft,such as the B-2 Spirit and B-21 Raider strategic bombers.The RQ-180 is believed to be close to entering service,if it is not already operating.*For its part,the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works may be working on a complement to,or even replacement for,the RQ-180,acccording to a new,unconfirmed report.Lockheed had previously suggested it had produced an uncrewed hypersonic aircraft called the SR-72.*Last year the DAF awarded to Leidos Holdings a contract to design a new,uncrewed hypersonic aircraft as part of classified Project Mayhem.A network of space-based sensors and uncrewed aircraft are the DAF's vision for future ISR capabilities.*Leidos Holdings Inc (LDOS),Lockheed Martin (LMT),Northrop Grumman (NOC)

Los Reyes presiden la Pascua Militar acompañados por primera vez por la Princesa Leonor

For the first time,Princesa Leonor de Asturias,heiress to the Spanish throne,attended the traditional Military Easter ceremony at the Palacio Real in Madrid with her father,His Majesty King Felipe VI.It's because she has joined the military as a cadet of the Academia General Militar de Zaragosa.She has become a member of the military family.Princesa Leonor wears a sash representing the Grand Cross of the Order of Carlos III.Carlos III was King of Spain from 1759-1788.It's another milestone in her formation.

US Army, Arctic Angels. 11th Airborne Division during Combat Exercises in Alaska

This unit protects critical national defence infrastructure;conducts multi-domain operations in the Arctic;and,when ordered,is capable of decisively defeating any enemy in extreme cold weather,in the high latitudes,in the mountains through large-scale combat operations.

How Denmark Helps NATO Protect the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans - plus a US Army technology demonstrator aircraft

The Royal Danish Navy frigate HDMS Triton (F358) is one of four patrol vessels deployed to the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans at any given time.Although the Triton is not an icebreaker,it is hardened for breaking ice up to meduium thickness.These warships are under Denmark's Joint Arctic Command (JACO),an operational command based in Nuuk (pronounced Nook),the capital of Greenland.JACO also oversees Bombardier Challenger 650 militarised patrol aircraft;and the Sirius dog sled patrol,which is the elite naval unit that patrols Eastern Greenland on dogsleds in two-year rotations.Greenland and the Faroe Islands are autonomous possessions of the Kingdom of Denmark.*Climate change is opening up more of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans to navigation,raising the spectre of ever more competition with near-peer adversaries Russia and China.Russia has been building up its military capabilities in the Arctic Region in recent years,adding new facilities and restoring Cold War facilities.At the same time,China styles itself as a near-Arctic state,developing new icebreakers for increased Arctic presence.NATO views this presence with concern,the Alliance says,as five of the six countries bordering the Arctic Ocean are NATO Allies:Canada,Denmark,Iceland,Norway and the US.*The Greenland Iceland UK Gap (GIUK) is a strategic transit route formed by two stretches of open ocean between the three land masses.It separates the Norwegian Sea from the open Atlantic.Denmark has taken strategic leadership of the GIUK on behalf of its NATO Allies,looking to expand its spending,surveillance and military presence in the Arctic Region and North Atlantic.Its ties to Greenland and the Faroe Islands make it a natural leader in the Arctic and North Atlantic's geopolitical and great-power concerns.The GIUK is a key supply line between North America and Europe.In 2021,Denmark invested 250 million dollars in its surveillance capabilities in Greenland and the Faroe Islands.The Ukraine war has made the GIUK more significant than ever.Surveillance of the GIUK is essential to keep Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC) and supply lines open between North America and Europe.Moreover,Denmark has been equipping its anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigates with improved sonar;while equipping its MH-60 Seahawk helicopters with sonar and torpedoes.The upgrades are to be completed by no sooner than 2024.*SLOCs are vulnerable to attack on their many undersea cables by Russia and China.Russia's Northern Fleet uses the GIUK as a major transit route.In a crisis,the UK Royal Navy would need to use the GIUK as a transit route to the open Atlantic.In 2019,ten Russian Northern Fleet nuclear-powered submarines staged an exercise to cross the GIUK undetected during drills lasting up to two months.*For its part,the Royal Danish Air Force has enlisted a militarised version of the Bombardier Challenger 650 business jet to monitor Denmark's sovereignty.The US Army has also converted the Challenger 650 business jet to fly regular missions along the Polish-Belarus border to monitor Russian ground forces in and around Ukraine.It is the Leidos Special Mission Aircraft (LSMA),and is outfitted with the Aerial Reconnaissance and Targeting Exploitation Intelligence System (ARTEMIS).According to AIN Online,the Army said the aircraft provides:high-altitude sensing capabilities against near-peer adversaries and bridges gaps in Multi-Domain Operations mission.*The LSMA aircraft was operating out of Constanta International Airport,Romania.Furthermore,the LSMA is believed to have electronic intelligence (ELINT) sensors and side-looking radar for tracking ground vehicles.*Bombardier Inc (XTSE:BBD.B),Leidos Holdings Inc (LDOS)