A total of 20 ships from NATO member countries are set to take part in the NATO’s, Norway-hosted, exercise Cold Response. The operational phase of the exercise will start on March 3 in Trondheim, Norway.
Most of the ships from Norway, Denmark, England, France, Poland, The Netherlands, and Spain have already gathered in the cold region in Norway’s north.
Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigates HMS Iron Duke and HMS Sutherland have berthed in Trondheim in Norway as they gear up for NATO’s biggest winter exercise.
From the middle of next week, the ships will be sailing around the fjords as the exercise gets under way.
Royal Navy’s input in the exercise will total around 750 perosnnel. This comprises 200 apiece on the Type 23 frigates, and around 350 Royal Marines of 3 Commando Brigade.
Five ships of Standing NATO Maritime Group ONE (SNMG1), under the leadership of Spanish Navy Rear Admiral José Enrique Delgado, also arrived in Trondheim for a routine port visit, after concluding a pre-training phase with other NATO ships involved in exercise COLD RESPONSE 16.
SNMG1 is currently composed of the Spanish flagship F100 class frigate ESPS Álvaro de Bazan (F101), the United Kingdom Type 23 Frigate HMS Iron Duke (F234), the Spanish Combat Replenishment Ship ESPS Cantabria (A15) and the Norwegian Coastal Corvettes Skjold-class HNoMs Storm (P961) and HNoMs Steil (P963).
The Royal Netherlands Navy’s Landing Platform Dock amphibious warfare ship, HNLMS Rotterdam will also be taking part in the exercise.
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