Amid tensions with Russia, the Pentagon announced on Friday the launch of a large-scale NATO naval exercise in the Mediterranean. The maneuvers will begin on Monday with the participation of the American aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman. Russia itself announced naval maneuvers at the same time.
“Neptune Strike 22 will last until February 4, and is intended to demonstrate NATO’s ability to integrate the sophisticated maritime strike force of an airborne group in support of Alliance deterrence and defense efforts” , Pentagon spokesman John Kirby announced.
An exercise that was not on the program
Kirby assured that this exercise had been in preparation since 2020 and that it had nothing to do with the current tensions around Ukraine, although “Neptune Strike 2022” was not on the list of exercises planned for 2022 published on December 14 by NATO on its website.
“The exercise itself is not designed to counter the kind of scenarios that could occur around Ukraine,” he said. “It is really a NATO naval exercise (…) intended to test a wide range of naval capabilities that we want to be sure to continue to strengthen”.
Russia announced all-out naval exercises on Thursday. More than 140 warships and about 10,000 soldiers will take part in January and February in these exercises carried out in the Atlantic, the Arctic, the Pacific or the Mediterranean.
“Need for a continuous presence in Europe”.
John Kirby acknowledged that the tense situation with Russia had sparked debates with the allies on the holding of this naval exercise. “After discussions with our NATO allies, it was decided to move forward,” he said.
The USS Harry Truman and its airborne group have been in the Mediterranean since mid-December.
The aircraft carrier was to join the area of operations of the central command (Centcom) but the American Minister of Defense Lloyd Austin decided at the end of December to keep it in the Mediterranean to “reassure” the Europeans in the face of friction with Russia.
Without mentioning the tensions around Ukraine, where Kiev and its Western allies accuse Moscow of having massed 100,000 soldiers at the country’s borders in anticipation of a possible invasion, the Pentagon had stressed that this change of route “reflected the need of a continued presence in Europe”.
