Putin warned as UK ‘increases focus and strength’ with NATO missile exercise |  Science |  News

Putin warned as UK ‘increases focus and strength’ with NATO missile exercise | Science | News

The news comes as NATO members pledge to stay closer than ever after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Apart from increasing members’ dedicated defense spending, NATO has pledged to send more resources and troops to Europe’s eastern front to better prepare defenses should the conflict spill over. The latest exercise called “Ramstein Legacy” aims to test NATO’s “integrated air and missile defense capabilities”.

According to the British Army, nearly 100 soldiers of the 7th Air Defense Group at Amari Air Base, Estonia and Ustka, Poland, operate Stormer vehicles armed with the Starstreak High-velocity anti-aircraft missile.

A world leader, the Starstreak can accelerate beyond Mach 4, making it the fastest surface-to-air, short-range high-speed missile available.

Speaking of the key exercise, 7th Air Defense Group commander Colonel Graham Taylor said, “Ramstein Legacy is really important.

“It is a series of NATO exercises that have taken place over the past five to six years.

“It is an opportunity for all NATO air defense countries to come together and exercise integrated air and missile defense.”

The 7th Air Defense Group is a formation of the British Army consisting of 2 regular regiments and a reserve regiment.

It is the British Army’s Air Defense Capability that is also responsible for detecting, identifying and tracking aircraft in support of British operations.
Colonel Taylor suggested the exercise was an excellent opportunity to work with NATO allies.

He said: “The more you can practice and collaborate with your NATO partners, the better.

“So whether it’s basic human integration levels or technical or procedural levels, it just provides that opportunity to get out, be deployed and go through those doctrines and Standard Operating Procedures.

“It is important to realize that this exercise was planned more than two years ago, so it is not a response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, this would always have been planned.

“It raises everyone’s focus and reinforces the importance of this activity at this stage and in this part of the world.”

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NATO has seen support for it grow since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Sweden and Finland – both of which had previously remained neutral – are well into accession negotiations to join the alliance and build defenses on Europe’s northeastern front.

In addition, another traditionally neutral country, Switzerland has said a recent poll suggests the landlocked country needs to increase its defense spending and align more closely with NATO.

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In January, before Russia invaded Ukraine, 96 percent of Swiss were in favor of neutrality.

The current figure stands at 89 percent, according to the poll.

An unprecedented 52 percent now prefer their country “get closer to NATO”, although only 27 percent actually want to join.

The new study was conducted by the Swiss Military Academy and the Center for Security Studies, which surveyed 1,000 people between May and June.

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