ONE of the largest tri-service and multinational military exercises of its kind is now well under way after navy ships assembled off Greenock.

Exercise Joint warrior will run until May 4, providing NATO allies and partners with the opportunity to 'improve tactics and procedures needed for the modern battlefield'.

Thirty-nine naval units from 13 nations are taking part in the exercise using maritime exercise areas off the West and North Coast of Scotland.

Vessels from Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the UK and the US will practice maritime skills such as anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and anti-air warfare.

Participants from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Norway, the UK and the US are operating from RAF Lossiemouth, Prestwick Airport and Stornoway Airport, with attack helicopters seen in the sky above Gourock earlier this week.

HM Naval Base Clyde is playing host to personnel from the Joint Tactical Exercise, who are co-ordinating Warrior from inside the base’s maritime operations centre.

Exercise Joint Warrior is held twice a year, in the spring and autumn, and participation is open to all NATO allies and partners, providing high quality operational training.

For more information on Exercise Joint Warrior, including notices to mariners and details of GPS denial operations, please visit Queen’s Harbour Master Clyde’s (QHM Clyde) webpage at www.royalnavy.mod.uk/qhm/clyde/jw