On board a NATO warship off the coast of Italy, US allies are conducting a new edition of Neptune Strike, an exercise that simulates a possible conflict scenario with Russia. The CBS News crew reached by helicopter HMS Prince of Wales, a British aircraft carrier deployed in the Mediterranean and equipped with 26 US-produced F-35 fighters. The operation was led by the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales of the Royal Navy, together with the aircraft carrier Cavour of the Italian Navy.
Mediterranean Defense
The operation involved the United States and nine allied countries, including Britain, Greece, Poland and Turkey, engaging in long-range strike missions on the Alliance’s eastern flank, with targets located at training grounds close to Russian territory.
According to the UN, one of its main goals is the defense of vital waterways such as the Mediterranean Sea, which connects Europe, Africa and the Middle East and handles about 30% of global oil traffic. This exercise comes amid increasing pressure from Russia, which continues to carry out attacks on NATO airspace using drones and fighter jets.
Drones in Sigonella
“This activity shows the cohesion of the Alliance,” Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander of U.S. European Command and NATO’s highest military authority in Europe, told CBS News. Commanding some 80,000 American troops, Grynkewich warned that the Alliance must be prepared for the possibility of simultaneous conflict with Russia and China in 2027. While defining a clash with the two superpowers as “unavoidable,” the general underscored the need to maintain maximum operational readiness: “Our goal is to prevent conflict.” This year the US presence in the drills is smaller, in line with the Trump administration’s call for NATO members to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP. The Pentagon also announced a reduction in American troops in Eastern Europe. Despite this, US Air Force Bomber Task Force B-52s were also used for the Neptune Raid. This edition introduces a new element: the use of NATO Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Force (NISRF) drones, based in Sigonella, capable of carrying out reconnaissance activities regardless of weather conditions or time of day.
What is a Neptune Strike
The coordinated presence of British and Italian fifth-generation F-35 aircraft, B-52 strategic bombers, NATO RQ-4D drones and other advanced assets highlights the Alliance’s ability to defend “every centimeter of NATO territory”, as explained by the military command. Born in 2020 within Project Neptune, the Neptune Strike series was designed to demonstrate the rapid integration of multinational forces and the Alliance’s willingness to guarantee the security of key sea lanes. All activities, NATO underlines, are planned well in advance, are defensive in nature and fully respect international law.
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