- Allies France, Italy, and the US conducted joint naval exercises in the Mediterranean recently.
- The joint drills were a show of strength among allies, the US Navy said.
- There's been increased military activity around Europe amid heightened tensions in the region.
Three NATO allies — France, Italy, and the United States — have been conducting joint naval exercises together in the Mediterranean Sea, showing the strength of their partnership with three aircraft carrier strike groups.
The US' Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, France's Charles de Gaulle Task Force 473, and Italy's Cavour strike group trained together from February 6 to 7.
"The capabilities of a US aircraft carrier strike group are made stronger by operating alongside our allies and partners," US Navy Rear Adm. Curt Renshaw, the commander of Carrier Strike Group Eight, said in a press release.
The Italian carrier strike group commander said in a statement that the joint exercise was a chance to "collectively enhance our capabilities, demonstrate the strength of our alliance and increase the interoperability with our partners" while the French commander called the training "essential to Europe security in this strategic area."
Though it was planned in advance, this exercise comes amid increased military activity around Europe and as tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine persist.
Russia has moved tens of thousands of troops along Ukraine's border, NATO allies are moving troops and equipment to bolster the alliance's eastern flank, and several big military exercises have been conducted recently or are expected in the near future.
For instance, the NATO alliance recently concluded its Neptune Strike exercise on February 4. The exercise was the first time NATO has commanded a full US carrier strike group since the Cold War, the alliance said in a news release, signaling its heightened readiness.
This major naval exercise involved both the carrier Harry S. Truman and the Cavour. Russian vessels shadowed participating US ships, Stars and Stripes reported.
During the exercise, Department of Defense press secretary John Kirby told reporters the carrier group will "demonstrate NATO's ability to integrate the high-end maritime strike capabilities of an aircraft carrier strike group to support the deterrence and defense of the alliance."
Kirby also said the demonstration was not a direct response to recent Russian aggressions at the Ukrainian border and had been in the works for over a year.
These Western exercises come as Russia carries out a massive military build-up near Ukraine, which Moscow denies having plans to attack or invade.
And Russian Ministry of Defense announced late last month that Russia has also been moving to conduct sweeping military drills involving all its fleets from the Pacific to the Atlantic, including in the Mediterranean Sea.