The multinational exercise, which is held twice a year in the spring and autumn, will involve 22 naval units and around 52 fixed wing aircraft.

Countries taking part in the maritime part of Joint Warrior inclyde the UK, the United States, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Norway, Spain, Germany, Lithuania, Belgium, Poland, Estonia and Latvia, with the US Navy’s Commander Destroyer Squadron 26 assuming overall command of the task group.

Coordinating events will be around 150 additional military personnel, many of them Reservists, who will operate from HM Naval Base Clyde for two weeks from October 7. Exercise Joint Warrior provides all three UK Armed Services, and invited allied nations, with the opportunity to hone the vital skills needed to fight and win on today’s battlefield.

Military skills practiced will include: anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; mine countermeasures; live firing; counter-smuggling and counter-insurgency; electronic warfare; and logistics support.

Over the two-week period, the exercise will develop from an initial period of military and political tension into simulated war fighting and potentially state on state hostilities. Key to Joint Warrior is the opportunity to practice and improve the tactics, techniques and procedures required of the Armed Forces.

Visiting Glasgow ahead of the exercise will be Danish vessels HDMS Peter Willemoes and HDMS Hvidbjoernen, while HM Naval Base Clyde will host 13 other ships from Spain, the Netherlands, the United States, Poland, Germany, Estonia and Latvia.

Also participating will be RAF Lossiemouth. Both Typhoon and Tornado GR4 aircraft will operate from the Moray airbase as well as visiting fighter planes from Sweden, Belgium and Germany.