The MoD started the Spring 2021 session of their biannual Joint Warrior exercise on Saturday 8th May. This year the exercise is also know as Strike Warrior as it includes a test of the UK new Carrier Strike Group. In the past these exercises have had an impact on the Tiree Broadband Network. This year we were lead to believe that the impacts on our network would be minimal as the bulk of the exercise is due to take place away from Tiree. However this doesn’t appear to be the case and we are already experiencing network disruption.
Joint Warrior/Joint Warrior/ Strike 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 5.8GHz 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/ Strike Warrior is scheduled to run from 8-20 May 2021 and may cause interference to our network throughout this time.
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.
See https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2021/may/01/210501-csg-sails-for-strike-warrior for further details.
