U.S. Sailors and Marines from the Kearsarge Amphibious Prepared Group and twenty second Marine Expeditionary Unit joined Allied Nations in kicking off the U.S. Sixth Fleet-planned and executed train Northern Viking 2022 in Keflavik, Iceland, April 2.
NATO Allied Nations collaborating in NV22 embody France, Germany, Iceland, Norway, Portugal, the UK and the U.S. These mixed forces will convey vital capabilities throughout the air, land and at-sea domains to a Joint and Coalition reside train.
U.S. Navy and Marine Corps forces embody models from the Kearsarge ARG and embarked twenty second MEU underneath the command and management of Activity Drive 61/2. The Kearsarge ARG consists of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship and Kearsarge ARG flagship USS Kearsarge, the San-Antonio class amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington and the Whidbey Island-class dock touchdown ship USS Gunston Corridor homeported within the U.S. state of Virginia.
“This train will present vital coaching for the MEU and is an effective alternative to show the interoperability and effectiveness of the US, Iceland and NATO Allied maritime forces.” Col. Paul Merida, twenty second Marine Expeditionary Unit’s commanding officer
“The Kearsarge ARG and twenty second MEU stand along with our NATO companions and Allies dedicated to a ahead naval presence within the Sixth Fleet space of operations,” mentioned Captain David Guluzian, commander of the Keasarge ARG and embarked Amphibious Squadron SIX. “Northern Viking is a chance to offer priceless interoperability expertise throughout the NATO Alliance, emphasizing the significance of the Arctic and North Atlantic area by means of mixed coaching in Iceland, a key NATO Ally vital to collective safety.”
Embarked instructions with the Kearsarge ARG embody Amphibious Squadron SIX, Fleet Surgical Staff 2, Tactical Air Management Squadron 22, Helicopter Sea Fight Squadron 28, Assault Craft Unit 2, Assault Craft Unit 4, Naval Seaside Group 2, Seaside Grasp Unit 2 and the twenty second MEU.
“This train will present vital coaching for the MEU and is an effective alternative to show the interoperability and effectiveness of the US, Iceland and NATO Allied maritime forces,” mentioned Col. Paul Merida, commanding officer, twenty second Marine Expeditionary Unit. Col. Merida and his MEU group function a sea-based, expeditionary disaster response pressure able to conducting amphibious missions throughout the complete vary of navy operations. The twenty second MEU is predicated out of the U.S. state of North Carolina and consists of the command component; the aviation fight component, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron, 263 (Bolstered); the bottom fight component, Battalion Touchdown Staff 2/6, and the logistics fight component, Fight Logistics Battalion 26.
NV22 seeks to strengthen interoperability and pressure readiness between the U.S., Iceland and Allied Nations and permits execution of multi-domain command and management of joint and coalition forces within the protection of Iceland and the Sea Traces of Communication within the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom Hole. The train consists of amphibious landings, expeditionary and building functionality, search and rescue, and humanitarian help with forces demonstrating abilities in occasions throughout a number of domains, climates, and vignettes to boost interchangeability and interoperability.
The Kearsarge ARG-MEU group is collaborating in NV22 in assist of world maritime operations and safety in assist of Allied and associate pursuits in Europe and Africa. Amphibious prepared teams and bigger amphibious process forces present navy commanders a variety of versatile capabilities together with maritime safety operations, expeditionary energy projection, strike operations, ahead naval presence, disaster response, sea management, deterrence, counter-terrorism, data operations, safety cooperation and counter-proliferation, and humanitarian help and catastrophe aid.
