Blog Editor Note: For my friends in the UDXF and the UK, a US Navy monitoring opportunity close to home.
USS Mitscher DDG-57 US Navy PhotoUSS DOYLE, At Sea (NNS) -- Ships led by Commander, Destroyer Squadron (COMDESRON) 24 left the U.S. East Coast for Scotland Sept. 19 to participate with allied navies in Joint Warrior, a coalition exercise designed and led by the Joint Tactical Exercise Planning Staff (JTEPS) in the United Kingdom.
Sailors from USS Mitscher (DDG 57), USS Doyle (FFG 39), USS Klakring (FFG 42), USS Hawes (FFG 53) and USNS Leroy Grumman (T-AO 195) will play a prominent role in the exercise intended to improve interoperability between coalition naval forces and prepare participants for upcoming deployments.
"Joint Warrior will provide our Sailors with an opportunity to engage in a variety of training scenarios that explore real-world challenges on a strategic, operational and tactical level – in a controlled environment," said Capt John Kersh, commander, DESRON 24. "We will focus our efforts on enhancing our ability to operate in a multinational, multi-platform environment."
The exercise supports the Navy's Maritime Strategy, which revolves around partnerships and a global maritime network of many countries' navies with the goal of patrolling the world's seas. The exercise also serves as a deployment certification event for the participating U.S. ships, preparing ready maritime forces for global assignment.
"The relationships we make during Joint Warrior are vital to ensure we are ready to engage in a host of global maritime security operations," said Lt. Cmdr. Gil Ayan, material officer for DESRON 24.
"We become more effective by operating with allied navies and leveraging our individual strengths. This builds trust and mutual cooperation, which will make us a more capable combined force in a real-time operational environment."
Joint Warrior will begin in early October and is expected to last approximately two weeks. It will involve air, sea and ground assets from participating allied and NATO forces.
"This exercise captures the essence of our teaming concept with allies and partners in the execution of the Maritime Strategy," said Kersh. "The bottom line is that five U.S. ships and a host of allied ships will come away from this exercise at the top of their game and ready to support joint maritime operations worldwide. The exercise is a win-win for everyone involved."