BODØ, Norway –
Eleven Allied nations kick off exercise At Sea Demonstration (ASD) / Formidable Shield (FS) 25, led by U.S. 6th Fleet and executed by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO), in the North and Norwegian Seas and North Atlantic Ocean, May 3, 2025.
ASD/FS 25 is the largest at-sea live-fire exercise in the European theater and is a demonstration of warfighting, readiness, and credible combat power across multiple domains. The exercise is designed to enhance Allied interoperability in a joint, live-fire, Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) environment using NATO command and control reporting structures.
“There is simply no substitute for the training and learning that occurs when we operate in these intensely realistic scenarios,” said Capt. Michael Dwan, Commander, Task Group 154.64 and STRIKFORNATO’s U.S. Maritime Ballistic Missile Defense Assets Advisor. “Training as a collective using NATO command and control reporting structure forges the bonds of interoperability and strengthens the alliance as a whole. Exercises like ASD/FS are critical for refining our collective integrated air and missile defense capabilities, ensuring we can respond effectively to any threat from any direction and maintain a credible deterrent posture.”
A multinational Commander, Task Group (CTG) IAMD has embarked aboard the Royal Netherlands Navy HNLMS De Ruyter (F804) ship, a De Zeven Provinciën-class guided-missile frigate, which will serve as the command ship for the three-week exercise. De Ruyter allows the CTG to conduct seamless high-level planning and decision-making.
“Operating together is not just a practice, it's the foundation of our shared security,” said Cmdr. Welmer Veenstra, commanding officer of De Ruyter. “Embedding our Allies aboard HNLMS De Ruyter provides invaluable training for our sailors. Exercises like Formidable Shield 25 ensure our forces stay sharp, adaptable, and credible.”
ASD/FS 25 will include a series of live-fire events against unmanned air and surface systems, subsonic, supersonic, and ballistic targets, incorporating multiple Allied ships, multi-nation/multi-service ground-based air defenses, and aviation forces working across battlespaces to deliver lethal effects, accomplish exercise objectives, and hone warfighting skills. Participating nations will share common tactical pictures and situational awareness, conduct NATO-level mission planning and engagement coordination, and exercise force-level pre-planned responses in various scenarios and situations.
NATO Allied nations field some of the most advanced technologies and capabilities in the world, and exercises and live-fire rehearsals like Formidable Shield provide an ideal venue to test and enhance these capabilities.
Participating nations include Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, U.K., and U.S. with the Australians providing a radar sensor for data collection only.
The exercise takes place biennially, occurring during odd-numbered years. This year’s iteration of Formidable Shield includes a complex live fire At-Sea Demonstration.
ASD/FS 25 involves 11 NATO Allied nations, U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) and U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe (MARFOREUR), U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR), more than 16 ships and 27 aircraft, eight ground units consisting of radars, National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), Tactical Air Operations Center (TAOC), and approximately 6,900 personnel from across the Alliance.
Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners to advance U.S. national interests, security and stability in Europe and Africa.
STRIKFORNATO, headquartered in Oeiras, Portugal, is a rapidly deployable and scalable headquarters, under the operational command of SACEUR, capable of planning and executing full spectrum joint maritime operations including IAMD, primarily through integration of U.S. and other nation’s carrier and amphibious forces into NATO operations to provide assurance, deterrence, and collective defense for the Alliance.