The warning came booming over the airwaves, in a voice unmistakably from the American south: "Warship! Get out of our waters!"Norwegian Lieutenant Thomas Johannsen and his sailors were preparing for a simulated boarding
The warning came booming over the airwaves, in a voice unmistakably from the American south: "Warship! Get out of our waters!"
Norwegian Lieutenant Thomas Johannsen and his sailors were preparing for a simulated boarding operation -- a core mission for their NATO maritime unit. But with so many other war games happening in the area, the crew was picking up unrelated chatter from a nearby vessel.
Johannsen pivoted to a clear frequency before addressing the cargo ship in his sights. "Please stop your vessel and accept my boarding team," he commanded.
Reuters gained exclusive access to the NATO exercise on Friday, one in a series of U.S.-hosted drills focused on defending the American homeland – and timed to coincide with the country’s 250th anniversary.
They were conducted at a perilous moment for NATO, with the Trump administration questioning the value of the 77-year-old alliance, reviewing its force posture in Europe and lashing out at long-time allies.
In an Oval Office meeting last week with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, President Donald Trump admonished Britain, Spain, Germany and France for not doing more to support the U.S. war in Iran. "We're disappointed with most of them,” the president said.
David Cattler,
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