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frontline our soldiers facing putin s01e01
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00:05On the ground! Oi! On the ground!
00:11Guys, Donald is running through.
00:13Yeah, roger.
00:14It's a bank, Theo.
00:18Yeah!
00:30We appear ever closer to a full-scale war with Russia.
00:36But are our forces battle-ready?
00:43With Russia testing NATO's resolve all along its eastern borders,
00:48we have exclusive access to the war games testing our defences against a Russian attack.
00:59Tonight, NATO soldiers are challenged to race across Europe to support the front line.
01:06Right, so obviously the plan is to leave in the 0600.
01:13And we're on Estonia's vulnerable border with Russia,
01:17as soldiers showcase their military might to deter Putin.
01:23It's been tough. It's certainly been a real test of character.
01:27A lot of the borders with Russia are vulnerable, and that's why we test it.
01:32We're with the British cooks feeding the front line soldiers.
01:36We've met about 1,500 people within this week, so the hours do rack up.
01:41Like, the other night, I did 25 hours straight.
01:45And we're in the skies right on Russia's border, with the pilots keeping watch.
01:51The fighters that are being controlled right now,
01:54we can see beyond what the fighters can see with their radar.
02:00Fire!
02:00Fire!
02:03As forces across Europe mobilise their troops,
02:12We are behind the scenes on land, at sea, and in the air.
02:18With the men and women training to be our first line of defence,
02:24protecting our borders
02:29and stopping Putin
02:34from expanding his war in Europe.
02:54This is the very edge of Europe.
02:59Sharing over 180 miles of border with Russia, Estonia is where Western military chiefs
03:07believe Vladimir Putin could attack next if he succeeds in Ukraine.
03:14So right now we are approximately 10 meters from Russian territory.
03:23Staring directly at the Russian threat, border guards like Peter Moran are the West's eyes
03:29and ears.
03:30They are the first line of defence.
03:39So, as you can see, there is the Estonian border marker, the Russian border marker and the border
03:47line is between those two border markers.
03:53The situation has become quite a lot more tense and we are, you know, fully expecting that something
04:01will happen, maybe a military invasion from Russia.
04:08Before dawn this morning, President Putin unleashed a full-scale invasion.
04:13Not since the end of the Second World War has Europe seen a darker day.
04:17That was February 2022, the moment Russia stormed through Ukrainian border posts.
04:24Now, countries bordering Russia fear history is about to repeat itself.
04:32A fear exacerbated recently by Russian fighter jets brazenly violating Estonian airspace.
04:41This is where it's feared things could suddenly explode.
04:45And right on cue, a Russian border guard appears, reminding Peter just how close danger lies.
04:53Yeah, I think we should be more discreet.
05:01Peter and all the defence forces here know that they won't be able to hold off a Russian invasion
05:07alone.
05:08But fortunately for Estonia, they are not alone.
05:15Unlike Ukraine, Estonia has been a member of NATO, the world's largest military alliance
05:22since 2004.
05:24When Russian forces seized Crimea in 2014, NATO stationed soldiers from across the world here.
05:34We saw what transpired in Ukraine, and we need to be prepared for further incursions or further
05:42moves from Russia into other NATO territory.
05:47Putin wants to achieve his aims.
05:49He wants to get the territory that he believes is rightly his, and we need to be prepared for
05:55that.
05:55We are surging our presence in all of those bordering countries with Russia.
06:02This threat is very real, and we have to take it seriously moving forward.
06:12NATO calls their permanent deployment here, enhanced forward presence battle groups, supporting
06:18all of Estonia's land, air and sea defences.
06:24Since 2017, the NATO battle group here in Estonia has been led by Britain, which has around
06:321,300 soldiers permanently based here.
06:37The deputy supreme commander of all NATO forces in Europe, at the time when these forward land
06:43forces battle groups were created, was General Richard Schereff.
06:50The enhanced forward battle groups, they were put there as a sort of tripwire force.
06:54From any objective military judgment, Russia is not going to be deterred by 1,000 allied
07:01soldiers from a military perspective.
07:04They might pause from a political perspective, because Putin would know that if he attacked
07:10Estonia, he's at war with NATO.
07:21NATO's Estonian base sits just 90 miles from the border with Russia.
07:28The soldiers stationed here train throughout the year, in conditions which mirror that which
07:34they're likely to experience if facing an invading Russian army.
07:42We're out here in Estonia as part of the forward land forces battle group, and we're on the
07:53training area alongside Polish, Estonian, American and French colleagues.
08:03In the event of a Russian invasion, these infantry soldiers know that fighting will take place
08:09in networks of trenches just like this.
08:21Today, British, French and Estonian soldiers are nearing the end of a seven day exercise deep
08:28in the forests of northern Estonia, practicing how to storm and clear trench corridors, meter
08:36by meter.
08:38What we are seeing today in the modern battlefield is that the trenches have not disappeared anywhere.
08:46They're still there, they're still valid.
08:48If you want to protect yourself, you kind of have to dig in.
08:52A platoon company of around 30 soldiers methodically make their way through one of the trench networks
08:59that could soon litter this entire border area, just as they've scarred the front line in Ukraine.
09:10It looks like something from the First World War.
09:14But trench combat is a massive part of the conflict in Ukraine.
09:22The Donbas region alone has over 250 miles of front line, marked by fortified trenches.
09:32It's a brutal, oppressive and protractive form of combat.
09:39But it's something these NATO troops must be prepared for.
09:46This is about getting your infantry with the bayonet in to kill the enemy in exactly the
09:51same way the Romans did.
09:53It's as brutal as that.
09:55It's still a war in which men have to fight brutally face to face.
10:00This is total war, a war of absolute utmost brutality, warfare on a scale not seen in Europe
10:08since 1945.
10:12We're out here, understanding the ground, understanding how the conditions are in these
10:17Baltic states if anything was to happen.
10:19Not just understanding surviving in these conditions.
10:22If something did happen, we are ready and the conditions are set for us to go.
10:28Despite the British-led presence here, in reality, NATO simply does not have enough troops stationed
10:36in Estonia to hold off Russia.
10:40Major military reinforcements from across the alliance are going to need to arrive fast if
10:46Russian President Vladimir Putin were to launch another invasion.
10:51I would imagine it might be at least a couple of weeks before any external forces that got
10:57up into Estonia, depending on the amount of warning we had.
11:03If you're in Estonia, you could be two weeks without any additional reinforcements.
11:10And this is why, throughout 2025, NATO has been testing its brand new Allied reaction force, a rapidly
11:19deployable major land army, able to respond to crises within days anywhere in Europe, and
11:25show Moscow that aggression against any member state will meet an immediate heavy response.
11:37coming up.
11:40We're with the British army mechanics, keeping NATO's new Allied reaction force on the move.
11:46Come on, sir.
11:48It's your time to shine.
11:50And...
11:51This is Estonian warship.
11:53Parpassing 732.
11:55A major escalation in tensions between NATO and Russia on the Baltic Sea.
12:01Alter your force to 105 immediately.
12:05Over.
12:14In the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, in southern Italy, sits one of the world's top military
12:21sites.
12:23It's the NATO headquarters for Allied operations.
12:27The epicentre of the West's defence against all military threats to Europe.
12:37Welcome to Joint Force Command, Naples.
12:47So this is the slightly longer way to work, but it's like a right turn, right turn, right
12:52turn.
12:54Now we're going to make the next step to the operational command, where we're going to go
12:57into Joint Force Command, Naples, which is the operational command for NATO South.
13:04Great opportunity to look into the headquarters and see what it actually looks like from the
13:08inside.
13:11Meet Commander Carl Harwood.
13:1336 years in the Navy, he plays a key role in NATO's military deterrence across Europe, heading
13:20the media ops team.
13:23The headquarters is about 950 people from about 25 of the 32 NATO nations.
13:31And of the 950, around about 100 Brits.
13:38To enter this building requires high level security clearance.
13:44Cameras are rarely allowed inside.
13:50Since the war in Ukraine, headquarters like this one have overseen a significant increase
13:56in the number and scale of military exercises NATO runs, in regions right up against the Alliance's
14:03border with Russia.
14:07So this floor is logistics.
14:09So we talk about that big machine that move people, machines, armour, ammunition, food.
14:16So they sustain and maintain that fleet of personnel, that fleet of vehicles, in order to support
14:23those operations.
14:24At the heart of JFC Naples are the ops centres, highly secure command hubs, manned 24-7.
14:34The largest military exercise of this year, called Steadfast Dart, is being run from inside
14:41these safe bunkers.
14:42So this is where we talk about crisis management, the Sedana Room.
14:48So the showcase exercise is exercise Steadfast Dart, so it's the biggest exercise for the
14:54NATO Alliance for 2025.
14:59Steadfast Dart is an exercise designed to test just how fast an army of thousands of reinforcements
15:05can get across Europe to support frontline soldiers on NATO's eastern borders.
15:1110,000 troops, 1,500 fighting vehicles, 2,000 miles to cover.
15:18A land and sea force big enough to send a strong deterrence message to Putin.
15:24This is not for fun.
15:26It's a race against time.
15:29Every minute crucial to defending Europe.
15:35We had the British contingent headed up by the Yorks, so they're based in York, transiting
15:41across to the ports, across to Netherlands through Germany, at the same time with vehicles loaded
15:46down at Marchwood, and we had the strategic roll-on, roll-off ferries going around, transiting
15:52through the Mediterranean into Greece where they're offloaded.
16:02The starting gun for Steadfast Dart has been fired.
16:07First stop is this Greek port.
16:10The British army is arriving from Southampton to face the challenge of offloading hundreds
16:16of fighting vehicles at speed.
16:18Something they'll have to do for real if Putin attacks a NATO country.
16:27Boss, I want to say, is there anything already, isn't there?
16:31Yeah.
16:34My name is Sergeant Paul Heath.
16:36At the moment, we had 256 vehicles, different variants of vehicles, plus three containers that
16:43is coming out.
16:47My role is to ensure that the kit that's coming off on the cargo gets off safely enough, and
16:53without any damage or anything like that.
16:56I've gone now 34 years, will be military.
17:01Yes, I start serving the Queen, Her Majesty, from then, so I've been doing military service
17:07since then.
17:10These British army vehicles are rolling off the ship.
17:12As part of the first ever deployment of NATO's new Allied Reaction Force.
17:21Steadfast Dart is challenging this new high readiness force to deploy to the Eastern Fronts
17:25of Europe in support of countries bordering Russia within 10 days or fewer.
17:33In command of these land forces for this first major trial are the British.
17:41The Allied Reaction Force is designed to respond to crisis on behalf of NATO.
17:46We've sent hundreds of vehicles and troops all the way across Europe, 2,000 miles, driving
17:52from Germany into Romania.
17:54We've sent thousands of troops in by air.
17:57Hundreds of vehicles by ship into both Germany and here in Greece are really demonstrating
18:02our capability to go exactly where NATO needs us at very short notice.
18:06We've sent hundreds of vehicles.
18:09With the kit finally off the ship, it's time for the vehicles to get a proper once over.
18:15Waiting in the wings, the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
18:21Their job, check over every engine in a matter of hours, as they would have to do in a real
18:27war.
18:30Morning, Corporal Casper.
18:33Meet Craftsman Peters.
18:35She's an army vehicle mechanic.
18:37It's her first deployment and her job is to make sure all these vehicles are battle-ready.
18:45The team's got just 24 hours to inspect all 256 warfighter machines that rolled off the ship.
18:52It's a race against the clock.
18:54Can they pull it off?
18:58The guys have been doing their first parade on the vehicles to make sure that everything
19:01is good and the vehicles are prepped and ready for the road.
19:05There have been a few issues with the trucks where the trans oil has been overflow and we've
19:11been draining that oil and making sure that it's at the correct level.
19:15Starting up!
19:21Craftsman Peters' job is a vital part of a warfighting army.
19:28So if there's not enough air pressure, which is here, then you'll hear a beeping.
19:34So she's checking these heavy transporters, as well as the lightweight protected Foxhound
19:45and more heavily armoured Mastiff patrol vehicles.
19:50Leave it running, come here.
19:53Switch.
19:56And she needs to fix any faults fast here on the side of the port without having a garage
20:02full of high-tech equipment at her disposal.
20:07Being a vehicle mechanic, it's hard work and a lot of dedication towards it because we
20:15all ask, like, the vehicles, they basically stay non-task worthy.
20:25We're looking to see the level of the trans oil at the moment to make sure it's not overflow.
20:31So once he revved up the engine a bit, he get it warm, all the circulation of the oil will
20:36go through
20:36and then we'll check the level of the oil to make sure it's not overflow.
20:44Oh, Peters.
20:45Yeah?
20:45Grab the master switch, put it in front.
20:47It's done.
20:48I think it's on.
20:49Yeah, it's on.
20:51Winton!
20:52Do you need to go up?
20:53Come on, sir.
20:54It's your time to chant.
20:57So we probably might need a breaker bar.
20:59Got it.
21:00Got it.
21:00Got it.
21:02I wouldn't say I think I would have ended up as an army mechanic, but I always wanted
21:08a job where I can wear a uniform.
21:1117 years ago, I was probably running around thinking that I'm going to be a accountant
21:17in some bank and walking in heels and all that bits, but it never happened.
21:25Right, well, go and start her up.
21:26Do the gearbox check again.
21:28Starting up!
21:32My stepfather is a vehicle mechanic.
21:34My dad is also a vehicle mechanic.
21:37My dad, he hasn't trust me since.
21:39He doesn't believe I'm actually a vehicle mechanic, to be fair.
21:43Just let him know what he's got, and then potentially just stick that two litres straight
21:47into Saudi's truck.
21:50It's the basics of what we do in the army.
21:54Some of those vehicle checks are things that we would be doing wherever we are in whatever
21:58part of the world.
21:58We need to make sure that our capability is ready for whatever eventuality we could be rolling
22:03into.
22:04The war in Ukraine has demonstrated the criticality of logistics and sustainment of the force.
22:13Testing how fast troops and firepower can reach the frontline to reinforce national defences
22:19is what exercise steadfast dart is all about.
22:24It's not.
22:25It's not just training.
22:26It's preparing for war.
22:29They are going to need reinforcement really quickly.
22:33And it's a simple equation.
22:35The readier you are, the less time they're going to have to.
22:39That thin line is going to crack pretty quickly.
22:44Coming up, we go inside the cockpit of NATO's state-of-the-art intelligence-gathering aircraft.
22:53NATO's, you're at six.
22:54Good for takeoff, aren't you?
22:56Really?
22:57We can clear for takeoff.
22:58Perfect.
23:01And can a makeshift kitchen in a freezing tent feed 400 famished fighters?
23:08My oven is literally just a metal box with a door on it.
23:11So yeah, literally 400 out of that.
23:13It's hard going.
23:14It's long.
23:24We're on the road with the British Army.
23:28Right, so obviously the plan is leaving the 0600.
23:33Hauling troops and tons of warfighting kit thousands of miles across Europe.
23:41It's certainly the largest deployment in a NATO context.
23:44And certainly from the British Army in the last 20 years.
23:46With over 1,500 vehicles deploying from the UK and over 10,000 personnel.
23:54This is NATO's biggest war game of 2025.
23:59Exercise, steadfast dart.
24:02The mission, to test if this was a real war.
24:06How quickly NATO's new Allied reaction force can reach and support frontline troops in the event of a Russian attack.
24:15Steadfast dart is a very important proof of concept for that deployment of troops and equipment to the eastern flank.
24:23A 2,000 mile journey to the eastern borders of Europe requires a series of pit stops to rest and
24:30refuel.
24:32Today, the British are arriving at their final transit camp, still 100 miles from their destination.
24:46This is Camp Konstanta, a former Soviet Red Army barracks.
24:53Over 1,000 British soldiers have passed through this camp in the last week.
24:57They eat, sleep, and move on in a matter of hours.
25:04I don't care if your friends are in other rooms, OK?
25:06You're just going to go into them two rooms because the building's nearly clean to hand over tomorrow.
25:09Scoff tonight is a meat feast with, like, chips, burgers, there's loads of stuff going on.
25:14Turn round, follow me, we'll go that way, we'll go to the accommodation.
25:21Meet Sergeant Hayes in charge of Camp Konstanta.
25:26It's known as a convoy support centre, or CSC.
25:32The purpose of the CSCs is to give the soldiers the amount of rest before they deploy it.
25:37They've been driving a long way to fix any of their vehicle problems they've got.
25:41Allow them to eat, OK?
25:43So one of the main things we do here would be feed them, so the cookhouse is just behind.
25:49The biggest thing for them to do now is they are in enforced rest.
25:53Cool, find it, find a bed space, both bed spaces, we'll top up, bottom of the air.
25:58We got the odd question, can we leave camp, can we go and do this or the other,
26:01but most of the time it was, no, you're here to rest, you've got, you know,
26:04you're going on exercise tomorrow, you're going to do more driving.
26:07It didn't sit well with some people, but most people just understood what they were meant to do.
26:13It's not just shut-eye the troops need at camps like this.
26:17Keeping them fuelled with hot grub is a mission all of its own.
26:20This is the cookhouse, this is where the soldiers got their meals.
26:23They had two meals with us, so they had dinner and breakfast.
26:30So we've got the chef of action here.
26:32So we've got Corporal Spencer on the burgers.
26:35We've got Private Goodache over there.
26:37And then you've got Corporal Brooks, Corporal Brooks is the head chef.
26:41This is Corporal Brooks, Army chef extraordinaire, with 23 years' service.
26:49Well, we've fed about one and a half thousand people within this week,
26:53so we've literally gone through probably about two tonne of potatoes,
26:59gone through about 2,000 burgers, hot dogs, probably about the same.
27:05Today, Corporal Brooks has just four hours to rustle up dinner
27:08for several hundred freshly arrived soldiers.
27:14And he's got to have it on the table for 6pm sharp,
27:17so the troops can rack up the rest they need
27:20to hit the road again at first light.
27:23So today we're doing some breaded prawns for the guys' dinner tonight.
27:28So we're literally just panning in it,
27:30from the prawns into the flour, into the eggs, into the breadcrumbs.
27:36It is the same.
27:38An army can't move on its empty stomach.
27:40So, yeah, so, with the morale's low,
27:43they come in, they get a nice hot scarf,
27:45they come in, they move straight up again.
27:50Corporal Brooks has multiple different dishes to cook
27:53and hundreds of soldiers to feed,
27:55all with just a single gas stove,
27:58which also heats his only oven.
28:02My oven is literally just a metal box with a door on it.
28:06So, literally, you're in and out that oven every couple of minutes.
28:10So, literally, I've got two number five cook sets
28:12which are designed for 50 people per cook set,
28:16so we've only got two.
28:18So, yeah, literally 400 out of that.
28:20It's hard going. It's long.
28:26The hours do rack up.
28:27Like, the other night I did 25 hours straight.
28:30That's called the Spence as well.
28:32He done 20 hours the other night.
28:34So, it depends on the mission.
28:36You know, if you need to be in, you'll have to be in,
28:39because it's literally just you.
28:43OK, guys, you're going to have two burgers,
28:45this chicken, prawns, and this big fillet.
28:48There's one choice of eight.
28:51With the troops filing in for dinner,
28:53it's mission accomplished for Corporal Brooks and his chefs.
28:59Corporal Brooks has been unbelievable.
29:01Fillets and prawns some nights.
29:03Some of the stuff he's made in literally two little cook sets
29:07over there in a small oven,
29:08he'd put Gordon Ramsay to shame, honestly,
29:11wouldn't you, Brooksie?
29:12It's only Michelin star only in here, isn't it?
29:14Yeah.
29:15Are you the best for the boys or not?
29:21In a war situation, transit camps like this serve a vital purpose,
29:26ensuring troops en route to the front line arrive
29:30having had sufficient rest, medical care and food
29:33to be in the best possible shape to fight.
29:38We've got about 2,500 UK service personnel here.
29:42All the things that you need to survive,
29:44food, water, medical treatment,
29:46but it's also the fuel for the vehicles,
29:48it's the spare parts for when things break down,
29:51it's the ammunition for our weapons
29:52and all of the other bits that sort of go with that.
29:56While these well-fed soldiers now bed down for some kit
29:59before pushing further east...
30:06..our cameras are allowed inside
30:08a live operational classified briefing.
30:13This one at a NATO airfield in northern Germany.
30:17Circling counterclockwise over to Baltic back here,
30:2125 knots as an average.
30:23Listening in.
30:25The crew of one of NATO's most important intelligence-gathering assets.
30:30There might be some more loss on HF, UHF frequencies,
30:35especially during the night.
30:37Meet the AWACS.
30:40NATO's flying radar station, providing surveillance, command,
30:45control and communication capabilities across allied countries.
30:52From 30,000 feet, the AWACS's giant spinning radar dome
30:57allows NATO to watch an area the size of Poland,
31:01tracking 300 targets at once.
31:06NATO, 06, prepare for take-off, 125.
31:09Zero, stand-by.
31:12OK, we're ready.
31:13Last five.
31:13Yes, last five.
31:14Good job.
31:15Ready to go, pilot.
31:16We can clear more.
31:17There you are.
31:18Perfect.
31:23Each plane can monitor troop movements
31:25from up to 500 kilometres away.
31:42The AWACS serves as a flying air traffic control
31:46and battle management centre.
31:49Today, it's on a live operation,
31:51keeping a close watch on Russian activity in the Baltic Sea.
31:57Russia's long been suspected of damaging
31:59and destroying vital infrastructure cables deep underwater.
32:04And that's what today's mission is all about.
32:09If you would have said, like, half a year ago, like,
32:12oh, we're going to sabotage all that internet cables and whatever,
32:15everybody would have said, ah, you're crazy,
32:17that's not going to happen.
32:18But it is actually happening that somebody thinks
32:21it's a good action to lower an anchor
32:23and plow through the cables.
32:25I mean, all of a sudden, it's a reality
32:28and we have to do our job not to prevent that.
32:33The moment the crew spots a suspicious ship,
32:36they're straight on the radio,
32:39calling in the local Navy and Air Force to check it out.
32:44What we are trying to do is first detect if there are vessels of interest.
32:48Are they performing any suspicious behaviour?
32:51A ship going from port A to port B and that starts loitering somewhere in the specific area,
32:57why wouldn't you do that?
32:59That kind of stuff is what we're specifically looking for.
33:05There are warnings of a possible serious escalation between NATO and Russia
33:10after an aerial confrontation over the Baltic Sea
33:13and accusations Russia violated NATO's airspace.
33:18The importance of these ongoing AWACS operations became clear
33:22when an oil tanker, suspected of being part of Russia's shadow fleet,
33:27entered Estonian territorial waters.
33:30Sanctioned by Britain, the Estonian Navy immediately attempted to seize the vessel.
33:37This is Estonian warship Papa 6732.
33:43Your request will be denied.
33:47Follow my instructions.
33:49Altern your course to 105 immediately. Over.
33:54The Russians film from the tanker's bridge
33:57as the Estonians attempt to redirect the vessel to a nearby port for an inspection.
34:04The ship is refusing to follow the Navy's instructions.
34:28This is exactly the kind of flashpoint that could easily spiral into full-scale war.
34:38She's turning towards the stone of the vessel.
34:42Out of nowhere, a Russian Su-35 fighter jet suddenly appears, crossing into NATO airspace.
34:51Its purpose, it would seem, is to intimidate the Estonian military to back down from seizing the tanker.
34:59Estonian authorities said that it violated NATO airspace for close to a minute.
35:05It was then escorted back to Russian waters by the Estonian Navy.
35:15Russia looks to be probing NATO's nerve.
35:18Testing whether the Alliance really will stand by every member.
35:22With its shadowy campaign of undersea sabotage in the Baltic Sea.
35:30Coming up, Steadfast Dart gets serious as Marines storm the beaches in a show of force.
35:37Right on the edge of the heavily contested Black Sea region.
35:42Dozens of ships, dozens of aircraft, thousands of soldiers.
35:46We were able to demonstrate our capability across huge geographic spans of land.
36:02Today I'm heading off to Mount Whitney to meet the Captain.
36:06The Mount Whitney, or the USS Mount Whitney, has just come back from the Baltic operations as a NATO exercise.
36:14USS Mount Whitney has a command and control platform, controlling a whole multitude of ships and forces across the NATO
36:24Alliance.
36:26We're with Royal Navy Commander, Carl Harwood.
36:29And today, we've been invited on board the US Navy's Europe-based 6th Fleet Command Ship.
36:37Should our forces go to war with Russia, it's this ship that will command NATO's operations at sea.
36:48Permission to come on board?
36:49Hello? Please, come on board. How are we doing?
36:52Hey, how are you doing? Camp Price, Commandant Officer. Welcome on board.
36:54So nice to meet you. I'm Carl Harwood. Command Harwood.
36:58While the British land component of the Allied Reaction Force grinds its way across Europe,
37:04the ARF's amphibious units are running drills to see how fast they can hit the front lines from the sea,
37:11as well as showcasing their naval power as a deterrent to Russia.
37:18One of the unique capabilities and why Mount Whitney is probably the most capable command and control ship in the
37:23world
37:23is because we have that capability and the ability to support both the US and NATO forces here on Mount
37:29Whitney.
37:30We are just there as a command and control platform, working to practice command and controlling amphibious forces.
37:37And we need to be ready to go day one. And so every time we do these exercises,
37:40for our tactics and techniques, procedures change, we want to be up to date.
37:44So when something happens on day one, we are ready to go, enter and operate together, you know, seamlessly, with
37:50no problems.
37:53Around the Mediterranean coast from Naples and up into the Aegean,
37:58this immediate response from NATO's naval forces to any Russian provocation is about to be put to the ultimate test.
38:11This is exercise Steadfast Dart from the sea, NATO's biggest, most complex live exercise of 2025.
38:24Our cameras have been invited onto the Spanish commanding aircraft carrier Juan Carlos I
38:29to witness a trial seaborn assault and storming of an enemy-held beach firsthand.
38:36If we do go to war, this will be the D-Day landings of the modern age.
38:45On deck, Harrier Junk Jets stand by.
38:51Below deck, Marines from across the Alliance are poised, ready and waiting to board dozens of landing craft and Zodiac
39:01Ribboats.
39:03On the flight deck, we have multiple aircrafts, so we operate Seahawks, we have also Harriers on board.
39:10And the Harriers, they do also protection against any threats coming from the land inside.
39:20An amphibus operation is normally the most difficult type of military operation that can exist.
39:25So we have to coordinate many, many aspects of it, like air operations, and we also had an integration of
39:35a special ops team.
39:36We had a landing force which is like the core of amphibious operations.
39:41In the event of a Russian invasion, this type of full-scale amphibious landing
39:47could be how NATO forces seek to rapidly reclaim land lost to Russia.
39:55The first wave of this operation, hundreds of heavily armed Spanish and Greek Marines launched to attack the shoreline on
40:04Zodiac Ribboats.
40:06Once the operation starts, we should get a lot of excitement and tension.
40:17In a real war, these Marines are sitting ducks on the water.
40:22Reaching the beach en masse and at speed is their mission.
40:27For this exercise, they are racing the clock.
40:30Own the beach as fast as possible, and then move inland.
40:35The second assault wave follows close behind.
40:38Dozens of landing craft carrying arm and vehicles.
40:42The Marines on board are already at the wheel, primed to storm the beach the moment they touch land.
40:50The third wave, Chinook helicopters, Marines hanging off the back, jumping directly into the sea.
41:00These Marines are the first boots on the ground, securing the area, and to make sure that the other parties
41:06following them,
41:08with the landing craft and all the equipment, the vehicles, can arrive safely at the beach.
41:14With F-16 fighter jets capable of flying 1,500 miles an hour, twice the speed of sound, and Harrier
41:23jump jets providing air support for the landing force,
41:26the armoured vehicles are able to touch down and roll off.
41:32The landing area here is located to a Greece air base.
41:36They operate the F-16 here, and you can hear them.
41:43The sound of freedom, it's nice.
41:47The final wave is the most dangerous.
41:51Marines fast roping down from Seahawk helicopters within seconds to avoid being picked off by enemy fire.
41:58In a war situation, both the pilots and the attacking Marines are at huge risk.
42:10Everything went well. All the personnel worked perfectly.
42:16There's a purpose that we do this on the south-eastern flank of NATO here.
42:21It's a clear signal to the east that NATO is ready to defend its territory.
42:26The message is clear, yeah, don't mess with us.
42:29Don't mess with NATO.
42:33For the generals in charge of the deployment of NATO's new Allied Reaction Force on both land and sea,
42:40Steadfast Dart is going according to plan.
42:43So far.
42:46We demonstrated our ability to move large quantity of forces, land, sea and air, across vast expanses of territory.
42:58Soldiers, supplies, fuel, ammunition, aircraft, large machinery across many different nations, across many different borders,
43:10proved our ability to respond quickly to a threat.
43:19But with the war in Ukraine grinding on, no one here needs a briefing on why these exercises, in this
43:26region, matter.
43:30All of us are trying to gauge what happens if Ukraine fails.
43:36Russia may see weakness and opportunity.
43:39And they talk openly about reclaiming Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania.
43:44I could imagine a scenario where they would launch an attack against NATO country.
43:51Senior political and military figures inside NATO, including the Secretary General,
43:57now speak frankly about Russia posing a credible threat to member states within a few years.
44:04Recent border provocations in Poland, Romania and Estonia highlight the dangers Russia poses to our peace and security.
44:15We assess in NATO that Russia could attack within five to seven years.
44:19Only by preparing for the worst case, which is war with Russia, do we deter war with Russia.
44:27We are at a crossroads in history today.
44:30This is not a moment for more talk.
44:33It's time to act.
44:35The one thing our history tells us is that if there is conflict in Europe, it will wash up on
44:42our shores.
44:46We've witnessed NATO stress testing its ability to hurl manpower and firepower at its borders with Russia.
44:54At breakneck speed, as both a defence and a deterrence.
45:00But exercises alone won't stop Putin from probing the West's resolve.
45:06Ultimately, more men and women may soon have to stand ready to risk everything to hold Europe's front line.
45:19Armies have to expand to fight wars of national survival.
45:24What we've got to ensure is that the armed forces of this country reflect properly the political statements about the
45:33first duty of government being to protect the country.
45:36And we've got to hold our political leaders' feet firmly to the fire to ensure that happens.
45:46Next time, after almost a month on the road, the British finally arrive at their front line base.
45:54And the full scale war games begin.
45:58Number one, fire!
46:00Six L-118 light guns lays down that suppressing fire to support the close combat elements.
46:09And we join the Americans defending the Polish border.
46:13Going in!
46:15First team comes in, closes these two rooms.
46:19We're not at war.
46:22We're somewhere in between.
46:23We're not at war.
46:26We're not at war.
46:31game.
46:35verlier.
46:42Game.
46:52Game.
46:53actor,
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