Recently, four personnel from 19 Squadron deployed to the Arctic Circle in Norway to participate in both Exercise JOINT WARRIOR and Exercise NORDIC RESPONSE. Personnel supported the Royal Navy and NATO colleagues with the planning and execution of one of the largest maritime exercises in recent history, comprising 15 warships, approximately 150 aircraft and circa 20,000 personnel. The exercises consisted of a series of training serials to deploy a Carrier Strike Group (CSG) Composite Air Operations up to the Finnmark region against an adversary threat. Both the CSG and 19 Squadron’s support started on Exercise JOINT WARRIOR in the North Sea in February, and finished near the Lofoten Islands region as part of the wider NATO Exercise NORDIC RESPONSE in March.
Flying Officer Tasker, Sergeant Irvine and Sergeant Adams were at Bodø Armed Forces Base, working with the Royal Norwegian Air Force Combat Plans team, writing the Airspace Control and Tasking Orders, then passing these up to Flight Lieutenant Evans, who was based at Control and Reporting Centre VIPER to execute as part of the Combat Operations team.
Flying Officer Tasker said:
It was a brilliant development opportunity to support the NATO brethren from 14 different countries (and welcome Sweden into the alliance) as well as help influence the Nordic Defence Tactics, Techniques and Procedures.
