Unit History: JMOTS

JMOTS is a joint Royal Navy and Royal Air Force organisation that plans and conducts these major exercises every year. The JMCs provide joint collective training in a multi-threat environment for UK maritime units, and those from invited NATO and other allied countries. Formed in 1970, but with earlier origins, JMOTS was one of the first truly joint military organisations in Britain.
 
Every JMC is the result of months of planning by the Joint Maritime Operational Training Staff (JMOTS) based at Northwood, and when the course began the JMOTS team moved up to Faslane where they act as directing staff from the Maritime Operations Centre of Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland.
 
More than 50 different training serials were combined to cover every aspect of warfare training, from Air Defence exercises, 16 different submarine exercises, Naval gunfire activities, replenishments at sea and surface exercises which involved everything from boarding to tactical manoeuvring.
 
As the JMC progressed the JMOTS staff kept in close touch with all participating units to make sure that the right level of training was being provided and extra serials were included where necessary.
 
The Royal Navy Director of JMOTS, Capt Jon Welch, said: "At JMOTS we believe that every individual should gain personal benefit from the training which is provided, not just the Commanding Officer, but right down to the newest member of the ship’s company or air squadron."