Nov 11 2023

STRIKFORNATO CONCLUDES THE ENHANCED VIGILANCE ACTIVITY NEPTUNE STRIKE 2023-3 (NEST 23-3)

OEIRAS, Portugal – Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) concluded Vigilance Activity Neptune Strike, the latest iteration of NATO’s 2 year old Project Neptune series of activities. The activity was commanded from the headquarters in Oeiras, Portugal, and from 30 to 10 November, NATO demonstrated the agility and operational reach with which it defends every inch of the Euro-Atlantic Alliance.

19 Allied and 1 partner nation, 3 Carrier Strike Groups, 15 maritime units, almost 90 aircraft and more than 4000 personnel worked together to execute 38 vigilance events from the southern border of SACEUR’s Area of Responsibility all the way up to the northern flank of the Alliance.

While the numbers are truly impressive, the successful execution of NEST 23-3 represents the determination of NATO as one Alliance to defend all of its member states through advanced capabilities. STRIKFORNATO’s ability to plan and execute as a cohesive team in a condensed timeline and across multiple domains visibly validates the continued evolution of this series of enhanced Vigilance Activities.

STRIKFORNATO has incrementally elevated the complexity and operational capacity of these events since the first Neptune-series event in September 2021, in order increase the Alliance’s capacity to deter aggression and defend tonight if needed.

Moreover, this Neptune Strike iteration assuredly highlighted European Allies’ Maritime Strike capabilities with the ESP Juan Carlos I, ITS Cavour and HMS Queen Elizabeth Carrier Strike Groups exhibiting how NATO retains the capability to protect every wave with the naval resources that are organic to the theatre.

Peacetime enhanced Vigilance Activities have become routine work for STRIKFORNATO’s battle staff – generating effects in a broad spectrum of sea, air, and land domains - providing deterrence and reassurance, as well as offering powerful opportunities to hone Allied interoperability.