UK maritime personnel to partake in NATO exercise

750 personnel from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines are due to take part in Exercise Cold Response, allowing the UK and its NATO allies the opportunity to test crisis response during the demanding winter months.

The multi-national exercise will take place in Norway, involving Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and the US.

The exercise will cover land, sea and air elements and the will specifically look to focus on maritimes, contributing around 350 Royal Marines from 3 Commando Brigade who will work closely with Dutch marines.

The UK will also commit Type 23 frigates HMS Iron Duke and HMS Sutherland, each transporting around 200 Royal Navy personnel. The purpose of the exercise is to demonstrate the flexibility and speed of response to reinforce NATO’s northern flank.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: “This underlines the UK’s resolve to defend our northern allies at sea. We are spending more on defence and increasing our maritime commitment to NATO in 2016. All of this sends a clear message that we will respond to any threat in an increasingly dangerous world.”

Commander Ben Aldous, commanding officer of HMS Iron Duke, said: “Iron Duke has been operating as part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) for the past six weeks and we are already seeing real benefit in working as a Task Group. Cold Response will see a step increase in tempo as we start working with land and air forces – this will be a real show of what NATO and its partners are capable of.

"Having worked and trained hard over the past 12 months my crew are ready for the challenge this exercise will bring."