THE Royal Navy has led an astonishing “elephant walk” with its allies in a show of force against Vladimir Putin – just days after Russian drones invaded Poland.
Warships from over a dozen nations were seen sailing in formation through the Mediterranean as the Kremlin holds its own rival WW3 drills in Belarus.
SWNSWarships are captured travelling in formation across the Mediterranean[/caption]
SWNSHMS Dauntless was among the fleet of vessels sailing in solidarity to the Indo-Pacific[/caption]
APVladimir Putin’s forces show no sign of slowing down[/caption]
The convoy, dubbed Operation Highmast, is made up of vessels from South Korea, Japan, Canada, Norway, the United States and Australia.
In a show of solidarity against Russian aggression, the fleet is setting sail on an eight-month mission to the Indo-Pacific.
Some 4,500 personnel are deployed across the group, including 2,500 Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines.
It comes as Russia and Belarus launch their own military drills, which experts say paint a chilling picture of Vlad’s future plans.
The Zapad drills – meaning “West” in Russian – take place every four years and entail creating fictional scenarios.
In 2017, the chilling mock military exercises involved capturing Baltic states, bombing Germany and invading neutral countries.
Russia insisted it was purely rehearsing a defence strategy, though Nato officials warned the drills were a “serious preparation for war”.
General Petr Pavel, head of Nato’s military committee, at the time said: “All together, what we see is a serious preparation for big war.
“When we only look at the exercise that is presented by Russia there should be no worry.
“But when we look it in the big picture, we have to be worried, because Russia was not transparent.”
Nato members have since committed to spending at least 2 per cent of their GDP on defence, as the Russian tyrant shows no sign of slowing down.
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk today vowed to modernise the country’s already $35 billion-strong military after Russia’s “deliberate” drone invasion earlier this week.
Warsaw was forced to shoot them down and trigger Nato Article 4, one below the threshold of war.
Article 4 is a clause in Nato’s founding treaty which states all allies must come together when the security or territory of one is threatened.
In an address to troops at an air base in the central city of Lask, he said Poland is due to receive its first F-35 fighter jets from the US next year.
It will be the first delivery of the 32 aircrafts expected by 2030 as the country continues to beef up its defence in the face of Russian threats.
Since 2022, Poland has bought “hundreds” of tanks, howitzers and rocket systems, making it one of Nato’s biggest military powers.
It has an estimated $60 billion worth of equipment bought from the US, including 96 helicopters.
Mariusz Błaszczak, the country’s defence minister, previously made it clear the build-up is intended as a warning to the Kremlin.
Last year alone, the country committed over 4 per cent of its GDP to Nato and ramped up its military spending to $35 billion.
It’s now one of the highest Nato contributors, allocating over double the UK’s two per cent spending.
PM Tusk even revealed plans to fortify its eastern border in a program that has been dubbed one of the country’s most significant investments in national security since WW2.
The mega initiative, known as East Shield, will launch by 2028 and secure Poland’s borders with Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad.
The UK yesterday vowed it would step up to meet Putin’s challenge and Nato vowed to defend “every inch” of allied land.
Defence Secretary John Healey condemned Russia’s “reckless, dangerous and unprecedented” escalation after meeting with E5 defence officials from Germany, France and Italy – with Poland’s defence minister diverted by the crisis.
He said: “Following our discussions today, I’ve asked our UK Armed Forces to look at options to bolster Nato’s air defence over Poland.”
SWNSThe convoy is made up of vessels from South Korea, Japan, Canada, Norway, the United States and Australia[/caption]
SWNSSome 4,500 personnel are deployed across the group[/caption]
SWNSThe Royal Navy setting sail in a show of power[/caption]