A large-scale NATO exercise is to take place in the UK between October 5th and 23rd 2009 involving strike aircraft, fighters, search and rescue aircraft and helicopters, along with maritime and ground-based elements. The exercise will be the latest instalment in the Joint Warrior series: a twice-yearly military learning camp, in effect, in which air, sea and land-power-based training and tactics will be showcased and exploited. As many as 40 aircraft will set the skies aflame over Scotland and other northern parts of the UK while, out at sea, more than 20 vessels will be in operation.

Exercise Joint Warrior 09-2

Royal Air Force participation will feature strongly in Exercise Joint Warrior 09-2 (the second such exercise this year), with the following types set to take part:

• Royal Air Force Typhoon multi-role combat aircraft
• Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 strike aircraft
• Royal Air Force Hawk jet trainers
• Joint Force Harrier Harrier GR9 strike aircraft (Joint Force Harrier is a combined RAF/Royal Navy operation, with assets deployed onboard HMS Illustrious)

NATO Exercise

The Ministry of Defence reports that various maritime search and rescue/reconnaissance aircraft will also be taking part in this NATO exercise, courtesy of NATO member states Canada, Norway, Germany, France and the US. Although detailed information as regards aircraft types is not yet officially in the public domain, between them, these nations operate versions of the Lockheed P-3C Orion and Bregeut Atlantic maritime patrol aircraft, so it seems likely that multiple examples will be in action over the exercise period.

The airborne elements involved in Exercise Joint Warrior will operate out of air bases including RAF Kinloss (the home of the RAF's Nimrod MR2 fleet) and RAF Lossiemouth (a principal Tornado GR4 site).

According to the MoD, the majority of the scenarios that make up Exercise Joint Warrior 09-2 will be staged during weekdays and in defined morning and afternoon time periods: 10 am-to-12.30 pm and 2.00 pm-to-17.30 pm. Some night flying is also anticipated as the exercise reaches its conclusion, while some of the participating helicopters could also be up and about outside of these times, it adds.

Joint Warrior is just one of a whole array of military exercises that take place throughout the world each year: another is the USAF's Red Flag.