1 EAGLETON NOTES: War Games

.

.

Thursday 26 October 2017

War Games

I looked out of my window one dismal morning recently just before a spell of really nasty weather hit us and lo and behold NATO was at it again. The Minch is obviously regarded as a good place to practice whatever it is they practice doing. I suspect that chasing submarines plays a big role. Apocryphally whenever these war games take place our cellphone and other communications all go haywire. It certainly happens but I'm sure it's just a coincidence! 






The Marine Traffic app gave a good indication of what was going on. It only identifies one vessel at a time unfortunately but if it is assumed that all the vessels the same colour as the identified NATO warship are also NATO warships then there were a lot of them around.


Hello! What's this? HNLMS Trump? Surely he's not had a warship named after him already.  No. Actually it's a Dutch frigate named after several Dutch 16th/17th century naval heroes.

29 comments:

  1. Must be rather interesting at times to look out and see what is going on in the sea around you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Serenata it is always fascinating: flat calm to violent storm, deserted to full of fishing boats (or warships) and sometimes very unusual vessels. Then there's the dolphins or the occasion when the bay was turned red with the blood of seals being slaughtered by a pod of Orcas.

      Delete
  2. Ha Ha - I loved the idea of a Trump warship being named after him. I'm surprised the Dutch haven't renamed it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CJ, he needs to be loved but is man enough not to be renamed Fart.

      Delete
  3. Interesting that you can find the position of all these ships. The enemy will have no trouble finding them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Red, only a Canadian warship would go to war with ASI active. This is sabre rattling.

      Delete
    2. Red, they are only playing. I suspect they will all switch off their ASI if the real thing comes.

      Delete
  4. I think your 'war games' must had extended all the way down here. We've been having a LOT of very low flying fighter planes over recently, plus a Chinook that nearly took out chimney off!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes Cro. I was buzzed by a Eurofighter on the A9 recently too.

      Delete
  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I expect Trump has a fleet named after him. O'barmy was awarded a Nobel peace prize in the erroneous expectation that at some point he would justify it.

      Delete
  6. And not all that long ago there were many people who truly believed their dream of the world being a better, more peaceful place (with less need for war games) would come true in their life time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meike, those of us who have lived in my and your generations and countries have been fortunate (so far) in never having had to fight for our countries. May that long continue.

      Delete
  7. What a super app for those of us who enjoy watching this sort of thing. We have seen the airplane one but it apparently requires a 'host' in the area to get the info downloaded and so we can't watch it here in SW France near Bergerac airport. I understand that there is a set delay in the info. so that we would be unable to launch our missiles with any accuracy, thank God!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You can watch but it is only free in your area.

      Delete
  8. Great images. That app is really useful. Must be interesting to observe in real life.

    Mersad
    Mersad Donko Photography

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mersad, it is great for local weather. If you want worldwide then it is available at a cost.

      Delete
    2. Mersad it's an app that I use principally for three purposes: seeing what is outside my window; where my son's ship is; and where the ferries to the Outer Hebrides are (a very important thing to know).

      Delete
  9. The thing with communications going haywire is probably a case of noticing normal hiccups more when there are exercises nearby, thereby setting up an endless loop of confirmation bias.
    I like your grey ocean pictures, I always want to sit and look at a moody sea more than a sparkling one

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kylie you may well be correct about the communications. I don't mind the moody seas but, even though I don't suffer from seasickness, I prefer to travel on sparkling seas. Apart from anything else there are less likely to be travel disruptions.

      Delete
  10. Well, to be openly honest...I prefer that our Armed Forces are always preparing for what we all hope will never happen...but being prepared and capable sure beats the opposite in my book!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Well that is not something I see everyday... or any day for that matter. Interesting indeed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lynda, as you say there are precious few ships in the plains of Australia (apart from 'ships of the desert' before anyone corrects me).

      Delete
  12. I wouldn't know whether to feel safe or worried... We had live war games going on in Sweden earlier this autumn, too - and mostly along the coasts. And quite a lot of media discussion about it as it also involved NATO even though we're not in NATO. Some think we should be. Others don't.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Monica I'm certainly of the view that it's better to be prepared and, although I hope that our armed forces will never be needed 'in anger', their role as a deterrent will be fulfilled. There are, of course, other points of view.

      Delete

Comment moderation is activated 14 days after the post to minimise unwanted comments and, hopefully, make sure that I see and reply to wanted comments.