The MoD is undertaking one of its regular Joint Warrior military exercises starting 01 October 2022. In the past these exercises have had an impact on the Tiree Broadband Network. Joint Warrior involves a significant number of UK and NATO warships, aircraft and personnel in operational simulations around the West Coast of Scotland. The exercise includes the use of radio frequency detection and jamming. This can significantly interfere with the operation of our broadband distribution equipment which uses 5GHz radio frequencies. There is very little we can do to protect the network from the power and technology available to a warship engaged in missile tracking or radar jamming.
Joint Warrior 2022 is scheduled to run from 01 – 13 October (see MoD announcement). Based on previous experience we can expect one or 2 periods of major disruption lasting several hours, most likely in the first few days of the exercises.
Tiree Broadband and Tiree Trust have previously raised this at government level, however as it is a military exercise there is little that can be done.
