CNR Fan, 25 January 2022.
According to CBS News, NATO kicked off a naval exercise Monday with an American carrier strike group along with forces from other NATO allies practicing coordinated maneuvers in the Mediterranean Sea.
The USS Harry Truman carrier strike group is under the command and control of NATO in the exercise which is scheduled to go until February 4.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the exercise, called Neptune Strike '22, has been planned since 2020 and is not designed to test any potential scenarios related to Ukraine.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki added on Monday that "this exercise will help demonstrate the unity, capability, and strength of the transatlantic alliance."
Coincidentally, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced last week in a press release […] its own exercises across all areas of responsibility, including in the Mediterranean Sea. The exercises are scheduled to take place in January and February and are planned to involve more than 140 ships and supporting vessels, 60 aircraft, and about 10,000 military personnel.
Read more: NATO kicks off large naval exercise in Mediterranean amid tensions with Russia
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nato-naval-exercise-mediterranean-russia-tensions/
Image credit: Dylan P. White, provided by CBS News
