Stars and Stripes – U.S. and allied warships were slated to begin live-fire drills off the coast of Scotland on Friday as part of an exercise designed to test NATO’s ability to coordinate missile defense during a fight at sea.
NATO’s Formidable Shield 2019 exercise is underway with more than 3,000 troops taking part in the drills that are focused on showcasing allied power.
The exercise “demonstrates the United States and our allied maritime partners high end war fighting capability in integrated air and missile defense,” said Vice Adm. Lisa M. Franchetti, commander of the U.S. Navy’s 6th Fleet and Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO. “This significant investment of resources, time and personnel ensures we are ready to deploy and operate anywhere, anytime, to defend the alliance and deter aggression.”
The drills, which run until May 19, come at a time of angst in Europe in connection with concerns that Russia’s development of a new missile system – the SSC-8 – poses a new kind of threat.
