A fleet of 20 warships, three submarines and 150 aircraft have taken part in a massive war games simulation off the coast of north-west Scotland.
Exercise Strike Warrior involved 10 different nations in the UK-led operation to test the response to a range of crisis and conflict situations.
Aircraft operated from RAF Lossiemouth and Stornoway Airport with two huge aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, being based at sea.
The operation is one of the largest of its kind in Europe.
What did the war games involve?
Strike Warrior pitted forces against each other in a range of simulated battles scenarios.
Activities include live missile firings at sea – the first time a British jet has done so in 15 years.
The RAF F-35 jets launched from an aircraft carrier to intercept a target drone.
3️⃣ submarines
2️⃣0️⃣ warships
1️⃣5️⃣0️⃣ aircraft
1️⃣0️⃣ nations: 🇬🇧🇦🇺🇩🇰🇫🇷🇩🇪🇱🇻🇳🇱🇳🇴🇵🇱🇺🇸Exercise Strike Warrior 21 has provided the UK Carrier Strike Group with its final and most demanding test so far ahead of its maiden operational deployment this weekend: https://t.co/cTAeIJDvEV pic.twitter.com/wKzWdg6lzN
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) May 20, 2021
The operation was designed to show the aircraft can protect the warship from an air attack during a deployment.
Nato forces from Denmark, France, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and the US were involved in the drills with Australian personnel also joining.
The drills were the final tests for the new aircraft carriers before going on their inaugural deployments in the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and the Indo Pacific region, which includes India, Japan, Korea and Singapore.
What is Exercise Strike Warrior?
Strike Warrior was part of the wider biannual exercise Joint Warrior.
The drills test the response of RAF, Army, Navy and strategic command officers in land, cyber and space exercises.
All personnel involved in the exercise underwent a 14-day quarantine period after arriving in the UK.
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “Exercise Strike Warrior has been a huge success and is a fine example of the crucial role Scotland plays in the defence and security of the United Kingdom and that of our Nato allies.
“I commend those who took part in the exercise in the waters off north-west Scotland and am fully confident their experiences will ensure that the Carrier Strike Group’s seven-month global deployment beginning this weekend will be a big success.”