Published: Tuesday, 8th April, 2008 10:12am

Huge war exercise on Clyde

by Lorraine Tinney

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WARSHIPS: One of the vessels ready to do battle on the Clyde.

A MASSIVE military operation will swing into action on the Clyde later this month.

UK and Nato forces will take part in a massive sea and air training exercise to test troops’ skills to the limit.

Soldiers, sailors and airmen will take part in the operation, entitled Joint Warrior, which takes place between 20 April and 2 May and will see service personnel mock up current scenarios in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The date for the Nato fleet arriving on the river coincides with a planned two-day strike by Clyde pilots, who provide safe passage for ships on the river.

But the industrial action is not expected to disrupt the huge exercise, as admiralty pilots will accompany the navy fleet.

A Royal Navy spokesman said: “In total, 19 ships will be coming to HM Naval Base Clyde, at Faslane.

“Five frigates — two Spanish, two German and one American — which were going to go to Glasgow will now dock at the Tail o’ the Bank before the exercise, which will mostly take place around the west of Scotland.”

The forces of Joint Warrior will feature 36 warships and around 70 aircraft from the UK and sixteen other allied nations.

Forces from all over the world will descend on the Clyde including troops from as far afield as the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Poland, Spain and Belgium.

The two-week training programme provides the best opportunities for British forces to work and fight in large formations, using lessons learned in international war zones.

Captain Paddy McAlpine, director of the Joint Maritime Operational Training Staff, said: “We operate in a realistic train-as-we-intend-to-fight scenario that exploits up-to-the-minute intelligence from current operational theatres.”