Royal Navy: Upgraded HMS Dragon joins Nato's largest live-fire exercise in Europe as array of drills begin
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Sophisticated naval weapons will be pushed to their limits during Nato’s largest live-fire exercise in Scotland.
Royal Navy personnel will join international forces for Exercise Formidable Shield 2025, where an array of drills will take place in British and Norwegian waters.
Portsmouth-based Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon has been deployed for the operation, with forces from nine nations including the USA, Canada, Norway and others involved in the exercise. The mission is conducted every two years and brings together naval, air, and land units.
The exercise - which will last up until May 31 - features a series of complex Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) and Air Defence (AD) missions within the Hebrides range in Scotland, with earlier drills taking place in the Andøya firing range in Norway.
James Anderson, senior campaign manager at QinetiQ - the defence firm which provides infrastructure for the exercise - told The UK Defence Journal: “It is probably the largest multinational live fire event that happens in the world. We’re seeing a significant increase in that multi-domain element of the exercise.”
RAF Typhoons and Norwegian F-35 Lightnings are involved in the air component. The Typhoon is a fourth-generation multi-role combat aircraft used for missions including air policing, peace support, high-intensity conflict, and quick reaction alerts (QRA) for UK airspace.
Participants will exchange tactical data, carry out NATO-level planning, and conduct coordinated responses to complex scenarios. The exercise aims to enhance integration and interoperability between allies.
HMS Dragon is back in the Royal Navy fleet after extensive maintenance and repairs. Work to revamp the Type 45 destroyer began in 2022, with three engines being installed as part of the Power Improvement Project (PIP). Her two original diesel engines were removed with alternatives which are considered more reliable and powerful with cleaner generators.
The Daring-class destroyer is the first to undergo PIP in Portsmouth, with similar work to take place on HMS Dauntless and HMS Daring. In preparation for Exercise Formidable Shield, the ship’s company carried out live-firing exercises earlier this year.