NATO seeks more U.S. ships
Exercise Sea Breeze in September included ships from Ukraine and NATO allies. The destroyer Ross represented the U.S. in the Black Sea exercise. NATO's maritime boss wants to plan more large-scale exercises. (MC2 John Herman / Navy)
NATO’s sea boss wants to see more of the U.S. Navy in Europe.
Royal Navy Vice Adm. Peter Hudson, who leads NATO Allied Maritime Command, said Oct. 7 that he was trying to lay the groundwork for more large-scale exercises to build cooperation between NATO powers, which would mean more time in 6th Fleet for sailors looking forward to sunny Mediterranean ports.
Hudson said tensions with Russia have prompted the renewed push, and that he’d like to “re-energize complex, joint, integrated training, so whether that’s frigates and destroyers in my warfare units or with carrier strike groups or amphibious ready groups, we’re well versed in it.”
NATO has four standing maritime groups — two groups of frigates and destroyers and two groups of minesweepers. Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 is commanded by U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Brad Williamson. The U.S. Navy’s boosted presence in eastern Europe was emphasized again Oct. 10, when the destroyer Cole entered the Black Sea.
The resurgent Russian threat recently prompted leaders of the NATO countries to pledge new commitments to the collective defense treaty and an awareness they need to restart large-scale exercises.
“It used to come naturally 25 years ago,” Hudson said in a Pentagon round-table with reporters. “We used to do big, complex NATO exercises in all environments, but the world has changed. We haven’t been doing as many of those in the last 10, 15 years. But I think Ukraine has told us we need to up our game and I think that’s the plan in the near future.”
The first big exercise in nearly a decade will be held next year. Called Trident Juncture, the huge endeavor will put 25,000 NATO troops into the field, Hudson said, though planning for the exercise predates Russia’s incursions into Ukraine. Hudson said he was also visiting Washington, D.C., to discuss with Navy leaders ways to fill the standing groups, which have operated at about half strength in recent years. He would not say if he was asking for greater U.S commitments to the groups, but said fully manning them is vital to combat the rising threat from Russia.
“Six or seven destroyers … isn’t going to defeat a complex enemy,” he said. “But it will sustain a theater, ... it will put all the connectivity into a region in place so that the follow-on forces can deliver.”
Royal Navy Vice Adm. Peter Hudson, who leads NATO Allied Maritime Command, said Oct. 7 that he was trying to lay the groundwork for more large-scale exercises to build cooperation between NATO powers, which would mean more time in 6th Fleet for sailors looking forward to sunny Mediterranean ports.
Hudson said tensions with Russia have prompted the renewed push, and that he’d like to “re-energize complex, joint, integrated training, so whether that’s frigates and destroyers in my warfare units or with carrier strike groups or amphibious ready groups, we’re well versed in it.”
NATO has four standing maritime groups — two groups of frigates and destroyers and two groups of minesweepers. Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 is commanded by U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Brad Williamson. The U.S. Navy’s boosted presence in eastern Europe was emphasized again Oct. 10, when the destroyer Cole entered the Black Sea.
The resurgent Russian threat recently prompted leaders of the NATO countries to pledge new commitments to the collective defense treaty and an awareness they need to restart large-scale exercises.
“It used to come naturally 25 years ago,” Hudson said in a Pentagon round-table with reporters. “We used to do big, complex NATO exercises in all environments, but the world has changed. We haven’t been doing as many of those in the last 10, 15 years. But I think Ukraine has told us we need to up our game and I think that’s the plan in the near future.”
The first big exercise in nearly a decade will be held next year. Called Trident Juncture, the huge endeavor will put 25,000 NATO troops into the field, Hudson said, though planning for the exercise predates Russia’s incursions into Ukraine. Hudson said he was also visiting Washington, D.C., to discuss with Navy leaders ways to fill the standing groups, which have operated at about half strength in recent years. He would not say if he was asking for greater U.S commitments to the groups, but said fully manning them is vital to combat the rising threat from Russia.
“Six or seven destroyers … isn’t going to defeat a complex enemy,” he said. “But it will sustain a theater, ... it will put all the connectivity into a region in place so that the follow-on forces can deliver.”
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