Daily Archives: March 11, 2015

Russian Jets Run Attack Scenarios on NATO Ships
Russian fighter jets have been using NATO ships in the Black Sea as target practice to run attack scenarios, a situation that NATO military officials say they are aware of and prepared...

By: samuel ezerzer

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Russian Jets Run Attack Scenarios on NATO Ships - Video

US deploys 3,000 troops for 3-month NATO exercise in Baltic
The United States has begun to deploy three thousand troops on major exercises in its NATO allies in the Baltic. A Pentagon spokesman said vehicles, helicopters and heavy equipment had begun...

By: PressTV News Videos

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US deploys 3,000 troops for 3-month NATO exercise in Baltic - Video

Rubio Warns Of The Threat Putin Poses To NATO And Russias Neighbors

By: SenatorMarcoRubio

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Rubio Warns Of The Threat Putin Poses To NATO And Russias Neighbors - Video

NATO naval drills start in Black Sea
Six Nato ships take part in a multinational naval exercise just across the water from the Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia last year. Rough cut (no reporter narration). Subscribe: http://smartu...

By: Reuters

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NATO naval drills start in Black Sea - Video

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany High-level NATO leaders met this week at Ramstein to consider the future of the alliances ground forces in the wake of the conflict in Ukraine and events in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization-LANDCOM Corps Commanders Conference drew more than 140 participants from nearly every country in the 28-member alliance, including NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove.

He and Army Lt. Gen. John Nicholson Jr., the commander of NATO Allied Land Command, spoke of the broader security environment facing NATO post-Afghanistan and the challenges ground forces, in particular, must address to hone and ready a land component that could respond to an international crisis at a moments notice.

We are adapting to some of the most significant changes to the security environment here in Europe since the Cold War, Breedlove said, and I am pleased to say that NATO is adapting as rapidly as its 21st Century challenges are also evolving.

Breedlove said NATOs land forces headquarters established in 2012 at Izmir, Turkey, to ensure the interoperability of NATO ground forces is focused on matching our readiness to the environment and working with nations on contingency planning in support of NATOs readiness action force, as outlined at the pivotal NATO Wales Summit last fall. Interoperability has been a constant, if elusive, goal for the alliance since the early 1950s.

This is significant, as this planning will reduce the go-to show time needed between alerting forces and getting them to the right place at the right time, Breedlove said.

At the Wales summit in September, allied leaders approved a response plan that addresses challenges posed by Russia and threats emanating from the Middle East and North Africa.

Neither Nicholson nor Breedlove mentioned Ukraine or Russia on Tuesday. But in speaking about collective defense, Nicholson mentioned the threat of so-called hybrid warfare, which NATO officials have accused Russia of employing in Ukraine, unnerving NATOs eastern members.

NATOs land forces would be one element of any collective defense measure, including if Article 5 were invoked. Article 5 is the cornerstone of the military alliance, which commits each member to consider an armed attack against one member state to be an armed attack against them all.

Nicholson said his command is focused on our own ability to respond to the political guidance that we receive.

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NATO country leaders meet to hone response to future threats

CASTEAU, Belgium NATO's secretary-general is insisting international observers be given the freedom of movement and the protection they need to monitor the cease-fire in Ukraine.

Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that if monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe are not provided with what they need to work, there can be no certainty how many heavy weapons are being moved or where they have been transported to.

NATO's top civilian official says there is still a Russian presence in Ukraine's east, including delivery of weapons and strong support for local pro-Moscow separatists.

Ukraine's president said Tuesday that government and rebel forces have pulled back most of their heavy weapons in the east, but each side accused the other of stalling on complying with other terms of a cease-fire deal.

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NATO chief Stoltenberg insists cease-fire monitors must get full access in eastern Ukraine

A Turkish soldier stands guard in a Black Sea port ahead of a Nato naval exercise. Photograph: Sasa Kavic/Reuters

Natos Black Sea members Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey joined the US, Canada, Germany and Italy in a multinational naval exercise just across the water from the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia last year.

The naval rapid reaction force in the Black Sea drills consists of a US flagship, the guided missile cruiser USS Vicksburg, and ships from the six other participating states.

Nato has held a series of exercises in eastern Europe since the Russian armys move into the region to reassure members jittery about Russian intentions in the wake of the Ukraine crisis.

The training will reportedly include simulated anti-air and anti-submarine warfare exercises, as well as simulated small boat attacks and basic ship handling manoeuvres.

Russian exercises

Last week, Russias ministry of defence said its forces had begun large-scale military exercises in southern Russia and in disputed territories on Russias borders, including the Crimea region.

Relations between Russia and the West are at their most strained since the Cold War. The Ukrainian government and the West accuse Russia of directing a separatist assault in eastern Ukraine with its own troops and weapons. Russia denies those accusations.

Once a close ally of the Soviet Union, Bulgaria joined Nato in 2004 and is one of six eastern European countries that will host new command units staffed with national and Nato soldiers, that are being set up in response to the Ukraine crisis.

US training

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Nato members hold naval exercise near Crimea