28 Mar-14 Apr. 2005

Exercise Noble Javelin takes Response Force far from home Links JFC Naples Exercise Noble Javelin 05 3,000 troops from the elite NATO Response Force deployed to the Canary Islands from 28 March to 14 April 2005 to respond to a mock crisis situation as part of exercise Noble Javelin 05. The exercise tested one of the key concepts behind the Response Force – the capability of the force to deploy anywhere in the globe to tackle the full range of missions. For the first time, troops were deployed far from their home bases to face a complex crisis scenario. This included rapidly establishing a presence in the crisis area by deploying a robust operational, liaison and reconnaissance team, and moving the Force Headquarters from a sea-based platform - on the HMS Invincible - to a land-based one on the island of Fuerteventura. It also tested the ability of the Response Force Command to establish and maintain continuous command and control of troops at the operational and tactical level. The NATO Response Force is a first for NATO. It combines elite land, air and sea units into a single force that can be deployed anywhere in the world in five days and sustain itself for up to a month on a wide range of missions.