This report by Rick Rozoff was published a year ago.
The Joint Warrior Games April 2016 in Scotland are currently ongoing. Those of April 2015 are reviewed below.
NATO War Games “Joint Warrior” in Scotland 2015: 13,000 Troops, 54 Warships, 70 Planes, Submarines
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The following compilation of articles, reports and press releases from official sources was undertaken by Rick Rozoff, published on Stop NATO.
We have highlighted relevant sections. What this review confirms is that the US and its NATO allies are on an active war footing. US-NATO military exercises, training and planning are being regularly conducted on Russia’s doorstep in Eastern Europe, the Black Sea basins and the Baltic states.
Whereas Russia is not mentioned, these various military initiatives and “defensive” war games threaten the Russian Federation.
They involve the participation of troops from several NATO and NATO partner countries.
What these articles and reports suggest is that Washington is anxious to mobilize military forces within NATO and NATO partner countries without the need to deploy a large number of US troops.
(M. Ch. GR Editor, April 16, 2015)
Iran Calls On China, India, Russia To Oppose NATO Expansion, Missiles
Sputnik International
April 16, 2015
Iran Ready to Cooperate With Russia, China, India to Oppose NATO in Europe
MOSCOW: Iran calls for cooperation with Russia, India and China to oppose NATO’s plans for military expansion in Europe, the country’s Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan said Thursday at a press conference in Moscow.
“We would like to support the idea of developing a multifaceted cooperation between China, Iran, Russia, and India to oppose the purposeful expansion of NATO to the east and placing a missile shield in Europe.”
He emphasized that Iran was ready to begin consultations on the issue to secure stability in the region.
NATO has been boosting its presence in Eastern Europe which has caused concerns from Russian authorities. The process is taking place amid tensions between the alliance and Moscow, following NATO’s accusations that Russia was providing Ukraine’s southeastern militias with military assistance.
Moscow has denied the allegations, while Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov called the alliance’s activity in Eastern Europe “unjustified.”
In February, NATO announced the increase of its Rapid Response Force from 13,000 to 30,000 military personnel, and the establishment of six new command posts in European states close to the Russian borders.
Copyright Sputnik
NATO Expands Air Command and Control System Throughout Eastern Europe
Xinhua News Agency
April 16, 2015
Bulgaria to participate in expansion of NATO Air Command, Control Systemr
SOFIA: The Bulgarian government on Wednesday approved a memorandum for the country’s participation in the expansion of the NATO Air Command and Control System (ACCS), officials said.
According to the memorandum, which was signed in January by NATO, Bulgaria, Albania, Croatia, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, the particular ACCS projects would be determined by the relevant committees of the Alliance, the government said in a press release.
The ACCS projects were expected to be implemented in Bulgaria in the period of 2015-2018, with the total value of around 12 million euros (some 12.68 million U.S. dollars), the government said.
Bulgaria, a NATO member since 2004, has been defending the Alliance’s airspace [sic] by performing NATO air policing duties with its Soviet-made MiG-29 and MiG-21 fighters.
Copyright Xinhua
Ukrainian Crisis: NATO’s Pretext To Contain And Besiege Russia
RT
April 15, 2015
‘Ukrainian crisis – NATO pretext to contain and besiege Russia’
NATO exercises in Europe and its eastward expansion have nothing to do with the Ukrainian crisis, which is used as a pretext to move closer to Russia’s borders in order to contain and besiege it, says international analyst Rick Rozoff.
RT: NATO continues to increase its military personnel in Eastern Europe, carrying out large-scale military exercises with 17 countries taking part. It’s the latest stage of Operation Atlantic Resolve – a series of over 30 war games in Europe throughout this year. What do you think NATO is preparing for?
Rick Rozoff: They are preparing for a direct military confrontation with Russia. I think that’s an inescapable conclusion. Let’s recollect first of all, we have some not even short memory-influenced thinking about what the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is. It was founded 66 years ago this month to be exact, in 1949, with the express intention of containing, confronting, and as need might arise engaging in a military conflict with Russia. Pure and simple. There is no other purpose for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Now in the post-Cold War period with the demise of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics, and of the Eastern Bloc as a whole, far from having dissolved itself, which would have been logical if its intent had been in any way or form of a defensive nature, it instead increased its membership by 12 new countries, by 75 percent. All 12 of those countries are in Eastern Europe, several of them border Russia. And it has always been the express intent of NATO to move up to Russia’s western and to large part of its southern borders and to contain Russia.That’s a purpose for it. So the fact that the Ukrainian crisis has been exploited as the pretense for an acceleration of plans long under way – years, decades under way – for NATO expansion to contain and besiege Russia. There is something we need to be aware of. The NATO expansion in the Baltics, in the Black Sea has nothing to do with the Ukrainian crisis except as a pretext. It has everything to do with plans that were under way for at least a decade or two…
Copyright RT
Lessons Of Afghanistan, Iraq: U.S. Army Europe, NATO Drill For New War
U.S. Army Europe
April 15, 2015
Army Europe senior leaders visit Saber Junction 15
By Sgt. Daniel Cole, U.S. Army Europe Public Affairs
HOHENFELS, Germany: Saber Junction 15 welcomed approximately 20 multinational senior leaders, including Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, commander of Army Europe, here, April 15, as part of a distinguished visitor event to showcase the multinational training event.
Saber Junction 15, which includes more than 4,700 participants from 17 countries, prepares NATO and partner-nation armies for offensive, defensive and stability operations.
“Our Soldiers [U.S.] prefer training with partners because we know that is how we are going to fight,” Hodges said…
Saber Junction originally began in 2011 drawing from the lessons learned from operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Saber Junction 15 runs April 1-30, 2015…
Copyright U.S. Army Europe
Ukraine: NATO’s Proxy War Enters Second Year
Interfax-Ukraine
April 15, 2015
One Ukrainian soldier killed, two injured in Donbas in past 24 hours
One Ukrainian serviceman has been killed in the anti-terrorist operation [sic] area in the south-east of Ukraine over the past 24 hours, ATO headquarters spokesman Andriy Lysenko told a press briefing in Kyiv on Wednesday.
“One of our soldiers has been killed and another two have been injured in the past 24 hours,” he said.
“The situation remains unstable…The adversary has been actively using small arms, grenade launchers and mortars. It has fired tanks twice against Ukrainian armed forces’ positions near the village of Peski,” Lysenko said.
No cannon artillery fire has been registered in the past 24 hours, he said.
The region’s flashpoints are the villages of Shyrokyne and Chermalyk near Mariupol, the Donetsk airport and villages along the Bakhmutka road in the Luhansk region, Lysenko said…
Copyright Interfax-Ukraine
Interfax-Ukraine
April 15, 2015
Poroshenko welcomes Canada’s decision to send military instructors to Ukraine
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has welcomed the Canadian government’s decision to send Canadian instructors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian servicemen.
“Up to 200 members of the Canadian armed forces together with military servicemen of other of our international partners will help strengthen the Ukrainian armed forces and the National Guard,” the presidential website reported on Tuesday evening.
Poroshenko described the decision as “another important step by Canada…”
“I am convinced that the strengthening of Ukraine’s defense capability would promote not only peace in our country but also global security in the Euro-Atlantic area,” he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and National Defense Minister Jason Kenney had announced their decision to send a group of 200 military instructors to Ukraine. The Canadian servicemen are expected to join U.S. and British military instructors in western Ukraine in early summer 2015 to work there until March 31, 2017.
Most of the Canadian instructors would stay in the town of Yavoriv, Lviv region.
Copyright Interfax-Ukraine
Defense Chief In Estonia: More German Troops In Eastern Europe
Deutsche Welle
April 15, 2015
Germany assures Estonia of NATO backing
German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen kicked off a two-day visit to the Baltic states on Tuesday.
In the Estonian capital, Tallinn, she pledged her government’s continued support as the region faces possible military aggression from Russia.
“Your concerns are also our concerns,” von der Leyen told reporters and her Estonian counterpart, Sven Mikser.
All three Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – belong to NATO…
The EU has repeatedly levied sanctions on Russia in a bid to force it to halt all cooperation with eastern Ukrainian separatists. However, despite a ceasefire agreement, a lasting peace in eastern Ukraine remains tenuous amid reports of continued fighting…
Copyright Deutsche Welle
Afghanistan: Georgian Troops Serve Under U.S. Marines In NATO War
Ministry of Defence of Georgia
April 14, 2015
The 43rd Battalion completely Transferred Authority
The 43rd Battalion of IV Mechanized Brigade of the Georgian Armed Forces officially transferred authority from the 51st battalion of the V Infantry Brigade.
The ceremony was held at Bagram Air Base. Chief of General Staff of the GAF, Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze attended the event together with the leadership of the Coalition Forces. Major General Kapanadze awarded 10 representatives of Georgian Liaison Team from the U.S. Marine Corps with the MoD service medal “General Kvinitadze” for their role in improving Georgia-U.S. military cooperation.
The leadership of Bagram Air Base, Tactical Group “Solid” and “Georgian Liaison Team” successfully evaluated the mission carried out by the 51st Battalion. Under the official data, the 51st Battalion maximally limited activities form insurgents and promoted to set up more stable and security environment on the ground. The 51st Battalion completed the mission without casualties and is returning to homeland stage by stage…
Copyright Ministry of Defence of Georgia
Estonia’s (American) President Wants Permanent NATO Combat Forces
UNIAN
April 12, 2015
Estonian president calls on NATO to permanently station combat units in Baltic states
Copyright UNIAN
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U.S. Consolidates New Military Outposts In Eastern Europe
Stop NATO
September 23, 2010
Estonia is “arguably the most exposed country in Europe,” according to President Toomas Hendrik Ilves‘ interview with Britain’s The Telegraph.
Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves believes that the time has come for NATO to deter Russia by permanently stationing combat units in the Baltic states, according to his interview to The Telegraph, published on April 11.…
The Telegraph writes that like the other Baltic states, Estonia does not possess any jet fighters, so it relies entirely on NATO to guard its airspace. Last year, the alliance quadrupled the strength of its Baltic Air Policing Mission – but only [sic] from four to 16 warplanes…
Estonia remains “arguably the most exposed country in Europe…”
Flaming Thunder: NATO Begins Multinational Artillery Exercise In Lithuania
UNIAN
April 13, 2015
M109 Paladin Integrated Management
NATO starts international artillery exercises in Lithuania
International exercises involving troops from Lithuania, Poland, Portugal and the United States have started in the Baltic country Lithuania, Russian news agency TASS has reported, referring to a source in Lithuania’s Defense Ministry.
The exercises, entitled Flaming Thunder, will involve live firing with U.S. Paladin 155 mm self-propelled howitzers at Lithuania’s Klaipeda and Pabradė firing ranges.
Around 450 troops from the four countries will take part…
Copyright UNIAN
Convoy Brings U.S. Paratroopers To Ukraine For Training
U.S. Army Europe
April 11, 2015
Fearless Guardian ground convoy arrives in Ukraine
By Maj. Michael J Weisman (The 173rd Airborne Brigade)
VICENZA, Italy: Paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade Support Battalion arrived in Yavoriv, Ukraine April 10 via a ground convoy from here to deliver the brigade’s training equipment for Operation Fearless Guardian.
Fearless Guardian is the name for the training of Ukraine’s newly-formed National Guard under the Congress-approved Global Contingency Security Fund. Under the program, the United States will begin training three battalions of Ukrainian troops over a six-month period beginning later this month.
“Ukraine is a strong partner that has participated in exercises and operations with us around the world,” said Capt. Ashish Patel, a planning officer with the brigade. “They’ve asked the U.S. for assistance in providing this capability, and this training will help them defend their borders and their sovereignty…”
“Planning a convoy like this teaches our leaders to think strategically,” said Maj. Antonio Pineda. “Conducting convoy movements from country to country, making contact with allied units to plan the route and escorts, it’s not something you can experience back in the U.S.”
In addition to escorts, allied units in Germany and Poland also hosted the convoy during overnight stops…
Copyright U.S. Army Europe
Scotland: NATO War Games With 13,000 Troops, 54 Warships, 70 Planes, Submarines
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
April 11, 2015
NATO Standing Naval Forces arrive in Scotland for Exercise Joint Warrior
SCOTLAND: Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) and Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Groups ONE and TWO (SNMCMG1, SNMCMG2) ships arrived in Scotland the past two days for a port visit and to prepare for the UK-led Exercise JOINT WARRIOR 15-1…
Exercise JOINT WARRIOR will run from 11-24 April. NATO’s three SNFs consisting of 14 ships will join more than 40 additional warships and submarines and 70 aircraft. In total, around 13,000 personnel from 14 countries are participating in the exercise…
The exercise provides complex coordinated training at the joint level, increasing interoperability between Allied forces and providing valuable experience integrating land, air, and maritime forces.NATO’s Standing Naval Forces will test their anti-air and anti-submarine warfare skillsets, as well as conducting mine counter-measures training in advance of amphibious landings…
Copyright North Atlantic Treaty Organization
