NATO. U.S. Marines during joint combat exercises with the French Army.

Watch: President Biden greets French President Macron - Military honours,welcome address and response

NATO Maritime Forces Respond to Russian Activity

In the second half of March, Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 monitored Russian naval activity in the English Channel
along with Allies France and Great Britain.This operation supported maritime situational awareness beginning on the week of 16 March 2020.Besides the SNMG1 flagship,HNoMS Otto Sverdrup, other Group members participating with the Allies were HMDS Absalon;HMS Sutherland; and FGS Rhoen.*
According to CDRE Yugve Skoglund, Commander, SNMG1:
Free access and entry to the Channel is critical to NATO.There has been a substantial non-allied military activity in the area lately.Our job as a NATO Force, together with our Allies,is to deliver NATO'S 'deter and defend'  message and provide maritime security.Our presence in the English Channel in the past few weeks is exactly what the standing maritime forces are made for... We are here to sustain NATO'S essential work even when all nations are facing tough times.*
Also in late March, three of the four US Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers forward-deployed to Rota,Spain conducted a drill in the Eastern Atlantic with two USN P8-A Poseidon Maritime Surveillance Aircraft from Commander,Task Force 67,Sigonella, Italy. Said CAPT William "BP" Pennington, commodore of CTF 67:
By keeping our top assets, our Sailors, healthy, our flight operations continue to support the Fleet, demonstrating the tight-knit integration between our surface and air assets, and without a doubt, our unparalleled ability to flawlessly execute coordinated high-end naval warfare.*

Operation Inherent Resolve:Euphrates River Valley

By 8 May 2018,the Syrian Democratic Forces,assisted by Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve,had resumed their offensive operations to clear the final Daesh territories in Eastern Syria,according to MGEN Felix Gedney,British Army,Deputy Commander of CJTF-OIR.This manifested as SDF moving to secure the Syrian-Iraqi border by eliminating Daesh resistance and establishing defensive posts in coordination with the Iraqi Security Forces,who are operating on the other side of the border.*
Daesh is the Arabic word for the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.*
At the same time,from 4-10 May,CJTF-OIR conducted 53 strikes consisting of 63 engagements against Daesh.For example,in Syria:
On 10 May,a strike destroyed an ISIL artillery piece near Dayr Az Zawr;
on 9 May,near Shadaddi,a strike destroyed an ISIL VBIED factory;and,near Dayz Az Zawr,a strike destroyed an ISIL IED belt.
In Iraq:
On 7 May,near Kisik,coalition military forces conducted a strike destroying 3 ISIL tunnels and a weapons cache;
On 5 May,near Mosul,two strikes destroyed 7 ISIL tunnel systems;near Makhmur,a strike destroyed an ISIL cave.*
Strikes are conducted by fighter,attack,bomber,rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft;rocket-propelled artillery;and ground-based artillery.*
As of now,ground operations by the SDF,coupled with intelligence,surveillance and fire support provided by CJTF-OIR,are having a devastating effect as SDF continues to liberate lands held by Daesh terrorists.Fighter jets from France are providing precision fires to crush the last of Daesh's fake caliphate.As we have proven many,many times over the course of this campaign,CJTF-OIR will relentlessly pursue ISIS (another name for ISIL) wherever they are,until we have destroyed all of ISIS' geographic holdings,MGEN Gedney tweeted.

Pentagon Issues Nuclear Posture Review - where Russia and NATO fit in

The Pentagon has released its Nuclear Posture Review,dated February 2018.Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis contributed a preface to the document.Here are some excerpts of his thoughts on the subject:
This review comes at a critical moment in our nation's history,for America confronts an international security situation that is more complex and demanding than any since the end of the Cold War.In this environment,it is not possible to delay modernization of our nuclear forces if we are to preserve a credible nuclear deterrent-ensuring that our diplomats continue to speak from a position of strength on matters of war and peace.*
While Russia initially followed America's lead and made similarly sharp reductions in its strategic nuclear forces,it retained large numbers of non-strategic nuclear weapons as well as its other strategic systems.Even more troubling has been Russia's adoption of military strategies and capabilities that rely on nuclear escalation for their success.These developments,coupled with Russia's seizure of Crimea and nuclear threats against our allies,mark Moscow's decided return to Great Power Competition.*
This review confirms the finding of previous NPRs that the nuclear triad (sea,air and land-based systems) - supported by NATO dual-capable aircraft and a robust nuclear command and control system - is the most cost effective and strategically sound means of ensuring nuclear deterrence.To remain effective,however,we must recapitalize our Cold War legacy nuclear forces.*
Modernizing our dual-capable fighter bombers will maintain the strength of NATO's deterrence posture and maintain our ability to forward deploy nuclear weapons,should the security situation demand it.*
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the vital role our Soldiers,Sailors,Airmen,Marines and Coast Guardsmen,and civilians play in making a safe,secure and ready nuclear force.Without their ceaseless and often unheralded efforts,America would not possess a nuclear deterrent.At the end of the day,deterrence comes down to the men and women in uniform - in silos,in the air,and beneath the sea.
To each and every one of them,I wish to express my personal respect and that of a grateful and safe nation.
                                                                     
                                                                         Signed,
                                                                        Jim Mattis*
According to NATO:
Nuclear weapons are a core component of NATO's overall capabilities for deterrence and defence,alongside conventional and missile defence forces.The circumstances in which any use of nuclear weapons might have to be contemplated are extremely remote.
Strategic nuclear forces:
As stated in the 2010 Strategic Concept:
The supreme guarantee of the security of the Allies is provided by the strategic nuclear forces of the Alliance,particularly those of the US;the independent strategic nuclear forces of the UK and France,which have a deterrent role of their own,contribute to the overall deterrence and security of the Allies.
Dual-capable aircraft:
A number of NATO member countries contribute a dual-capable aircraft (DCA) capability to the Alliance.These aircraft are available for nuclear roles at various levels of readiness - the highest level of readiness is measured in weeks.In their nuclear role,the aircraft are equipped to carry nuclear bombs and personnel are trained accordingly.The US maintains absolute control and custody of the associated nuclear weapons.
Allies provide military support for the DCA mission with conventional forces and capabilities.*
According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative think tank:
About 150 US gravity bomb B-61 warheads are currently stored in Europe.
There are six nuclear weapon facilities in five NATO countries:Belgium;Germany;Italy;the Netherlands;and Turkey.
Dual-capable aircraft currently include:US F-15 E;F-16 C/Ds;Belgian,Dutch and Turkish F-16s;German and Italian PA-200 Tornados*
The US Coast Guard helps provide security for US ballistic missile submarine bases,plus emergency support for the subs such as medevac as needed.

NATO's Brilliant Mariner 17:Certifying France for Leadership at Sea

Brilliant Mariner 17 is a NATO non-Article V Crisis Response Operations exercise aimed at certifying France's Aero-Naval Rapid Reaction Force (FRMARFOR) for command of the NATO Response Force (NRF) Maritime Component in 2018.France will assume command on 1 January 2018 and serve in that capacity for one year.The drills are running from 29 September-13 October 2017.Participating are 3500 personnel,27 warships,two maritime patrol aircraft,and amphibious assets from twelve nations,including:
Canada;Denmark;France;Germany;Greece;Italy;the Netherlands;Norway;Portugal;Spain;Turkey;and the UK.*
The NRF is a highly ready and technologically advanced multinational force comprised of land,air,maritime and Special Operations Forces components that can deploy quickly wherever needed to strengthen the Alliance's deterrence and defensive posture,and project stability beyond the Alliance's borders,NATO said.*
Brilliant Mariner 17 is an opportunity for France to exercise command and control at the NRF MCC level.The participating units and crews will evaluate readiness and validate capabilities by operating in a demanding and challenging environment,enhancing collaboration and improving interoperability.*
Brilliant Mariner 17 is headquartered at the French Toulon Naval Base on the Mediterranean.Among the drills conducted so far were:
1.The Royal Navy destroyer HMS Diamond conducted a live firing gunnery exercise (GUNEX) with its 4.5 inch gun at sunrise along with French frigate FS La Fayette;
2.A Maritime Tactical Operations Group (MTOG) from the Canadian Forces conducted small arms training aboard the frigate HMCS Charlottetown;
3.A Royal Danish Navy boarding party disembarked HMCS Charlottetown into a rigid-hulled inflatable boat;
4.Spanish Navy Marines from the Strategic Projection Ship ESPS Juan Carlos I conducted operations on French Military Facility Camp de Garrigues during an infantry exercise;
5.Royal Navy frigate HMS Enterprise received French Rear Admiral Olivier Lebas,who was transferred by helicopter off the exercise flagship,French amphibious ship (LHD) FS Mistral,and winched to the deck.
6.ESPS Juan Carlos I sent Spanish Navy AV-8B Harrier II Plus jets into night operations.
7.French Army Tigre,NH 90 and Puma helicopters practiced "Touch and Gos" on the flight deck of FS Mistral.
8.Spanish Navy Marines conducted amphibious assault training from FS Mistral,including transport ashore by French catamaran.They were also deployed on land by Spanish Navy Sea King helicopters and a French Army Puma for a projection force helicopter drill.
9.A flotilla of 21 Allied ships sailed in formation in the Mediterranean on 8 October.

As Exercise Aurora Unfolds,Details from Zapad 17 Emerge - little green men,U-2S Dragon Lady and Swedish SIGINT

Adrenaline is running high in Europe as multiple crucial exercises are underway on both sides of the geopolitical divide.
On 19 September,Exercise Aurora 17 began in Sweden.It is the largest Swedish national exercise in more than twenty years,US European Command said.Augmenting the more than 19,000 Swedish personnel,the US has sent about 1300 Soldiers,Marines and Sailors,and France has contributed air defence forces.
US European Command commander and Supreme Allied Commander Europe,General Curtis M. Scaparrotti,US Army,stated that:
The interoperability and cooperation of Sweden and the US remains vital.*
Aurora 17 is running from 19-27 September.The drills will occur in Malardalen,Stockholm,Gotland and Gothenberg,Sweden.US Forces participating include:
from the US Army:US Army10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command;12th Combat Aviation Brigade;2nd Cavalry Regiment;194th Armored Regiment,Minnesota Army National Guard;134th Infantry Regiment,Nebraska Army National Guard;149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade,Kentucky Army National Guard;
from the US Marine Corps:Marine Rotational Force Europe 17.2;
from the US Navy:Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79);and a P-8A Poseidon from Patrol Squadron 16.*
The forces will train in both defensive and offensive operations;simulated airborne operations;simulated amphibious assault;as well as area security and unit level tactics.*
Meanwhile,sources in theatre,particularly the Finns,have been sharing their observations of Russian/Belorussian Exercise Zapad 17,giving the ambience of Zapad and the response to it:
1.On 16 September,so called "little green men" in unmarked camouflage fatigues appeared on the border with Lithuania,the Swedish publication Cornucopia reported.One photo showed five LGM in a field with balaclavas and kalashnikov rifles;and a second photo shows two LGM,one of whom has removed his balaclava.They are reportedly hybrid warriors,Don Cossack paramilitaries,some of whom were also noted to be active in annexed Crimea and the beseiged Donbas region in Ukraine.*
2.According to another source,a US Air Force U-2S Dragon Lady reconnaissance aircraft departed RAF Fairford,England,at 0655 hours on a Baltic mission on 17 September.
3.On 14 September,the Russian 6th Tank Brigade that had seen heavy fighting in Ukraine in 2014 joined Zapad 17 drills.
4.On 17 September,strategic places in Severodvinsk were masked by aerosol fogging in the framework of Zapad 17.
5.On 18 September,land units of the Russian Baltic Fleet carried out firing in the framework of Zapad 17;while a shipborne strike group of the Russian Northern Fleet supported artillery forces of the Russian Marines.
6.On 17 September,a Swedish SIGINT plane was sent on a mission outside the Russian outpost of Kaliningrad.

Bulletin:Two US Troops Die in Iraq - Tal Afar campaign underway

The Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve has announced the death of two US Soldiers on 13 August 2017 in Northern Iraq and the wounding of five others.They were conducting combat operations at the time,but were not in contact with the enemy.The incident is under investigation.According to The Washington Post,the Iraqi Security Forces said the troops died when a shell exploded in a cannon the Soldiers were making a routine inspection of.
The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant extremists claimed responsibility for the casualties,saying they had attacked the troops,but CJTFOIR said it was a false claim.*
At this time,the ISF are working to liberate the city of Tal Afar in Northern Iraq,which is near Mosul,which they have recently recaptured from ISIL militants.The US Army has for some time been supporting the ISF with artillery strikes from several fire bases.France has also supported the ISF with its artillery.*
The latest incident brings the total number of US deaths in Operation Inherent Resolve this year to nine.Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend,US Army,Commander,CJTFOIR,said in a statement to the Soldiers' family and comrades that:
There are no words to describe the respect I have for you and sorrow I have for your loss.I hope there is some solace in knowing their loss has meaning for our country and all the members of our coalition as the fallen service members were fighting to defeat a truly evil enemy and to protect our homelands.*

War On ISIL:Battle of Mosul Imminent in Northern Iraq

According to the UK Defence Minister Michael Fallon,military cooperation agreements on the Battle of Mosul,Iraq were finalised on 23 September 2016;encirclement operations will begin in the next few weeks;and Mosul,the largest ISIL bastion in Iraq,will be liberated from ISIL in the next few months.*
Special Operations Forces from undisclosed Operation Inherent Resolve coalition countries are already conducting covert operations behind enemy lines.*
Logistics hub for the massive campaign is Qayyarah Air Base about 40 miles/60 km of Mosul.It was recaptured from ISIL in July.It's been reconfigured to handle military transport planes,providing a direct supply line to the OIR coalition members in the Mosul area,instead of having to truck supplies 185 miles up from Baghdad.
The US and French Armies have emplaced artillery systems on the base.Their mobile howitzers can range out half the distance to Mosul;while their artillery rockets can strike the city itself from Qayyarah in less than 20 seconds with high accuracy.*
About 22,000 Iraqi Security Forces,including Army and Special Operations Forces and backed by thousands more Kurdish Peshmerga,paramilitary or tribal militias,are poised to execute the battle plan with coalition close air support against the approximately 3,000-4500 ISIL militants that remain within Mosul along with 500,000-700,000 civilians.They have fortified the city with untold miles of trenches,each three meters deep by 2 meters wide.Some of the trenches have been filled with oil.*
Qayarrah Air Base is closed to the media.As the battle progresses,a new air base will be established next to Mosul to support combat operations even more readily.

Exercise Pitch Black 16:Air Combat in Australia's Northern Territory - some NATO countries invited

The Royal Australian Air Force's massive,biannual air combat exercise Pitch Black 16 continues on this week.The multinational drills are focusing on offensive and defensive air combat in a simulated war environment.With up to 115 aircraft and more than 2500 personnel,Pitch Black is running from 29 July to 19 August in the vast open skies of the sparsely populated Northern Territory,based at RAAF Darwin and RAAF Tindal about 300 kilometers to the south,and utilising both the Delamere Range Facility and Bradshaw Field Training Area.*
Participating besides the host nation are the US,Canada,Germany,Singapore,Indonesia,New Zealand,Caledonia,Thailand,France and the Netherlands.It was Germany's first participation in Australia's largest air exercise.The UK is not participating this time because of other obligations at the Farnborough Air Show.*
Besides several US Air Force,Thai and Indonesian F-16 and Singaporean F-15 fighters,as well as Australian F-18 Hornets and Superhornets,many transport aircraft and tankers are involved in the war games as well,such as the US Marine Corps KC-130 tanker and the Australian KC-30A tanker/transport.In the Pitch Black scenario,the Red Force from Tindal is the aggressor against the Darwin Blue force with increasing complexity as the drills progress.Air defence systems will be tested and allied forces will develop how they operate together.Air to air combat;air to ground attack;command and control;and tactical air transport will be tested by large formations of aircraft practising challenging air operations.In today's air war,it's more about integrating into a complex and joint environment than achieving mission goals as an individual,providing immediate and responsive military options across the spectrum of operations.Air-land integration is also a new emphasis,as the US Army's 5th Battlefield Coordination Detachment works with Australian Army counterparts to develop a joint approach to enable ground forces to communicate in real time with aircraft.
Troop transport and forward air controller drills are also being incorporated in Pitch Black 16 as part of the air-ground integration package.*
Such mutually beneficial tactics and procedures will build an effective coalition,as a larger team needs to operate cohesively in order to achieve success as well as stabilise and secure the Asia-Pacific region.

Whether a Military Strike is War

The House Armed Services Committee held a hearing on the Syria crisis Tuesday,at which a number of miltary issues were hashed out.Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel spoke about the Russian proposal that Syria surrender its chemical weapons to international control,saying that the proposal has to come rapidly.I would assume this is on a very fast track.*
A concern about the aftermath of military action was raised.There is always unpredictability anytime when a strike option is taken,Mr.Hagel said.There are a significant number of responsible individuals in the Syrian opposition.We have been vetting them through our partners that are in the opposition.The strikes and the options we have given the president have all factored in the uncertainty.
If we do nothing,Assad will continue to do what he's doing and worse.We have exhausted almost every diplomatic option in this effort.We believe,based on our intelligence and our partners in the area,if we carry forward,this will specifically deter and degrade.If Assad should accelerate and use chemical weapons again,my guess would be the president would come back to the Congress and ask for further authorization.*
General Martin Dempsey,Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,said it's challenging to vet the rebels,but we have a methodology.*
A discussion arose as to whether even a limited strike amounts to war.In an article,General Dempsey wrote that "the use of force is no less than an act of war."To a soldier,when you put them in a conflict,it tends to be a war,he told the House Armed Services Committee.Secretary Hagel,a Vietnam veteran,agreed that's how it is.
Our ability to over-match regime forces and our forward presence leads us to believe we can handle retaliation,General Dempsey continued.*
Turkey,Saudi Arabia,Qatar and France would participate in military action in some way.President Obama's first priority has been and is diplomacy-all to date to no avail,Secretary of State John Kerry told the committee.Russia and China have vetoed all UN resolutions,and even press releases condemning the generic use of chemical weapons.General statements have been blocked.We're waiting for that Russian proposal,but we're not waiting for long.It cannot be simply a debating society in the UN.*
Mr.Kerry will meet Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva,Switzerland on Thursday to discuss the Russian proposal.Meanwhile,the president has ordered US forces in the region to remain on standby while the diplomatic process runs its course,ready to strike should it ultimately fail.

France Opens Navy Base

A French navy base near Abu Dhabi,the capital of the United Arab Emirates,has been opened by the President of France,Nicolas Sarkozy.The base will allow the French navy to project power in the Persian Gulf,protecting the oil and liquified natural gas shipments that transit the Gulf,as well as in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean,where Somali pirates have beeen attacking merchant vessels.It is France's first military installation outside of Africa,and the first new foreign base since the 1960s.
Preseident Sarkozy is a close friend of U.S. President Barack Obama,and has reintegrated the French military into the NATO alliance.The French and U.S. navies are involved in a number of personnel exchanges,especially in the naval aviation field.The two navies participate in extensive joint training and operations.

Navy Photos Show Cargo

U.S. Navy photos depict a cargo of what is apparently three million dollars in ransom,dropping by parachute onto a Saudi oil tanker that pirates have held since 15 November,2008.A negotiator told The Associated Press the Somali pirates had released the ship in exchange for the money.The pirates had originally demanded 25 million for the ship and its two million barrels of oil,which was worth about 100 million dollars.The tanker had been taken more than 500 miles,or 804.65 km,out to sea in the Indian Ocean.This was despite the patrols of warships in the region.Although the security effort has been stepped up,with ships from the U.S.,U.K.,Germany,France,India and China now participating,it is unlikely maritime patrols alone can stop all,or even most,of the pirates.There are too many pirates with too many weapons for that.Only a stable Somalia with good economic prospects can ultimately solve the problem,and those conditions are nowhere in sight.