Formidable Shield 2023 exercise to be supported by QinetiQ for U.S. Navy, NATO
NewsMay 18, 2023
LONDON, United Kingdom. QinetiQ will again assist in the execution of the live-fire integrated air and missile defence exercise Formidable Shield (FS), the company announced in a statement. This exercise is organized by the U.S. Sixth Fleet and NATO's Naval Striking and Support Forces (STRIKFORNATO), and will take place in MOD Hebrides, Scotland, after the first portion of the exercise was conducted Andoya, Norway.
Since its inception in 2015, the At Sea Demonstration/Formidable Shield exercises have been designed to improve NATO and allied forces' ability to counter future threats, and Formidable Shield 2023 is expected to involve greater complexity in live weapons scenarios to aid forces in their training, the statement reads.
The forthcoming exercise will see a boost in multi-nation participation, with more than 20 ships, 35 aircraft, and nearly 4000 military personnel from 13 nations participating in live weapons and defense rehearsal scenarios, according to the statement.
Qinetiq will provide critical test and evaluation support for radar systems, communications systems, and tactics assurance across NATO-led operations, the company says. QinetiQ will also launch several targets, including the Banshee Jet80+, allowing participants to run integrated air and missile defense scenarios with ballistic missiles, supersonic sea skimming missiles, and aggressor jets, the statement adds.
