A Royal Navy chopper launched anti-missile flares above the HMS Prince of Wales as part of NATO’s largest military exercise for decades.
The Merlin helicopter from 820 Naval Air Squadron could be seen firing the flares from both sides above Britain’s second aircraft carrier for Exercise Steadfast Defender in images released today.
The Royal Navy said: ‘Flares are one element of the Defensive Aid Suite (DAS). The flares make up one portion of the DAS system, they are specifically designed to defeat Infra-Red seeking missiles (MANPADS).
‘The aircraft carrier is taking part in Exercise Steadfast Defender. Exercise Steadfast Defender 2024 will be the largest NATO exercise in decades.
‘NATO forces will be exercising across multiple regions and in multiple domains (maritime, land, air, space, and cyber).’
It added: ‘The vast scale of this exercise will occur over several months and over thousands of kilometres and will involve tens-of-thousands of Allied troops, all showcasing NATO capabilities to deter adversaries and defend allied territory.’
A Merlin helicopter from 820 Naval Air Squadron loaded and fired flares from HMS Prince of Wales for Exercise Steadfast Defender
The helicopter be seen firing the flares from both sides from above Britain’s second aircraft carrier
NATO was founded in 1949 and held its first military exercises in the autumn of 1951. These were used to train and test the organisation’s newly created multinational military structures.
Throughout the Cold War, NATO continued a highly active exercise programme to train forces in as many demanding scenarios as possible.
This included the REFORGER series of exercises, which – in a similar way to those that the Steadfast Defender 24 takes part in – tested the ability of North American soldiers to quickly deploy to Europe.
The last exercise on a similar scale to Steadfast Defender 24 was REFORGER 88, with 125,000 people taking part.
Since Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, NATO has increased the number of exercises that concentrate on collective defence scenarios.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Allies have further bolstered NATO’s deterrence and defence.
Steadfast Defender 24 is the first large-scale NATO exercise to act on these new defence plans.
Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron said that nothing should be excluded as the West looked for a strategy to counter Russia, which controls just under a fifth of territory recognised as Ukraine.
A Merlin helicopter from 820 Naval Air Squadron taking part in the military exercise
The Merlin helicopter above the HMS Prince of Wales. The Royal Navy said: ‘Flares are one element of the Defensive Aid Suite (DAS). The flares make up one portion of the DAS system, they are specifically designed to defeat Infra-Red seeking missiles (MANPADS)’
He noted that European nations have not ruled out putting boots on the ground.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was among the European leaders who rejected the idea.
‘What was agreed from the beginning among ourselves and with each other also applies to the future, namely that there will be no soldiers on Ukrainian soil sent there by European states or NATO states,’ Scholz said.
Prime minister Ulf Kristersson of Sweden, which is set to join NATO after Hungary this week became the final member to approve the country’s application, poured cold water on the idea, saying ‘it’s not on the cards at all for the moment’.
In an address to the nation today in Moscow, Russian president Vladimir Putin noted that while accusing Russia of plans to attack NATO allies in Europe, Western allies were ‘selecting targets for striking our territory’ and ‘talking about the possibility of sending a NATO contingent to Ukraine’.
‘We remember the fate of those who sent their troop contingents to the territory of our country,’ the Russian president said in an apparent allusion to the failed invasions by Napoleon and Hitler. ‘Now the consequences for the potential invaders will be far more tragic.’
Putin declared that the West should keep in mind that ‘we also have the weapons that can strike targets on their territory, and what they are now suggesting and scaring the world with, all that raises the real threat of a nuclear conflict that will mean the destruction of our civilization’.