Nato ships have an advantage here as by and large they all operate using the same rule books but even then it can take days to get everyone on the same communications circuits and operating from the same picture. Intelligence systems, logistics, communications, orders, rules of engagement, all require a high degree of commonality and understanding to work. The network required to make ships capable of fighting together extends well beyond the platforms themselves. Gathering in one place in formation for a photo is one thing: learning how to fight together is something else entirely. Operating warships together is much harder than Hollywood would have you believe and needs constant practice. Task two is more interesting – preparing for what happens when task one fails. Is that provocative in itself? Not really, and besides, it’s the same message the Royal Navy’s carrier strike group gave during its 2021 deployment to the Indo-Pacific, and the same message US warships send all the time. In this recent instance, the Chinese and Russian message to friend and foe alike was, ‘we can operate together, far from home and with impunity’. There are many others but ‘we have this and we’re not afraid to use it’ is the gist of it, a messaging activity that navies spend a lot of their time on. Activities range from patrol vessels visiting ports in the Indo-Pacific, to frigates escorting Russian warships as they transit the Channel, to signalling the Argentinians that a nuclear-powered attack submarine is on its way, to sitting an aircraft carrier off someone’s coast. Task one, Naval Influence, covers a vast range of activities that take place around the clock around the world and often unseen. Not too long ago I commanded the Royal Navy’s standby warship tasked with responding to events such as this if they happened in UK waters (they did) and so I have been involved in similar occurrences.īasically there are two reasons why navies gather and operate together like this, both simple – to influence (task one) and to prepare to fight (task two). There have been similar occurrences previously.
All these ships have now dispersed, seemingly with no up-close interaction. The US Navy sent four destroyers in their direction as a response. Two days ago, eleven Russian and Chinese warships came together off the coast of Alaska in the largest gathering of its kind yet seen.
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