NATO maritime exercise 'Noble Justification' underway in Mediterranean and Atlantic

BRUSSELS, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- NATO's multinational "Noble Justification" maritime exercise is underway in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

The purpose of the exercise, explained NATO's Maritime Commander, Vice Admiral Peter Hudson, is to help "NATO to develop force integration, multinational inter-operability and enhance readiness, by using of an improved technology."

"It exercises a high-density, high-threat scenario in which NATO responds to a threat to its integrity, and the sovereignty, of its member states."

Fourteen NATO nations, including the U.S., are participating in the maritime exercise involving 5,000 military personnel, more than 20 warships, and several submarines and aircraft.

Lt. Gen. D. Michael Day, deputy commander of the NATO Joint Force Command Naples remarked that "'Noble Justification' is not just important to the life cycle of the [NATO Response Force] but also acts to assure NATO members and their allies, of the Alliance's unity, ability and commitment to respond to any threat to NATO members' integrity and sovereignty."

NATO's new secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has emphasized that "NATO's most important task is to protect and defend our nations against attack," a commitment that comes at a time of heightened concern about Russian aggression and the rise of Islamic extremism in the Middle East.

2014 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Read the original post:
NATO maritime exercise 'Noble Justification' underway in Mediterranean and Atlantic