NATO allies are conducting the largest live-fire naval exercise in Europe this year: Formidable Shield 2025. Co-hosted by Norway and the United Kingdom, the exercise is orchestrated by the United States Sixth Fleet and executed by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO). Designed to test and strengthen NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) capabilities across domains, the event spans the cold waters of Northern Europe, with operational scenarios ranging from the Andøya firing range in Norway to the Hebrides Range off Scotland.
This year’s iteration emphasizes complex, real-time threat engagements, including the defense against subsonic, supersonic, and ballistic missile attacks. With the world watching NATO’s defense posture evolve amid increasing geopolitical instability, Formidable Shield serves as a reminder of the alliance’s unified commitment to collective security in a high-threat environment.
Formidable Shield 2025 aims to refine interoperability, enhance real-time data sharing, and validate the use of NATO’s integrated command and control architecture. The exercise is a proving ground for how multi-domain forces, including naval, air, and land-based assets, can operate as one cohesive unit. This year, 11 NATO countries—Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the UK, the US, and Australia (contributing sensor data)—have deployed approximately 6,900 personnel, 16 ships, 27 aircraft, and eight ground units.
The exercise includes a broad spectrum of scenarios: missile interceptions, coordinated multi-platform strikes, and joint mission planning simulations. Participating platforms include U.S. Navy destroyers like the USS Thomas Hudner and Bulkeley, the Royal Norwegian Navy’s KNM Otto Sverdrup, and the Belgian frigate Louise-Marie. Tactical command is handled by HNLMS De Ruyter, a Dutch frigate specializing in air warfare, acting as the central node for command, control, and engagement coordination.
The NATO Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) based at Forward Operating Location Ørland in Norway supplies aerial situational awareness. Their data, paired with air refueling support from two U.S. Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotankers, ensures prolonged air coverage and interoperability among NATO aircraft, from fighter jets to surveillance drones.
Among the more prominent contributors to Formidable Shield 2025 is the Belgian frigate Louise-Marie (F931). Its participation marks a culmination of months of forward deployment. Before the exercise, Louise-Marie had already completed several missions under NATO’s maritime and security initiatives.
In early 2025, the frigate was part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) under Operation Baltic Sentry, launched after suspected sabotage of undersea cables between Finland and Estonia. This mission focused on protecting critical infrastructure across the Baltic. Shortly after, Louise-Marie joined Exercise Joint Viking, a large-scale drill near Russia’s northern frontier, signaling NATO’s emphasis on Arctic and High North deterrence.
Commanded by Jan Gacas since December 2024, the ship’s active posture reflects Belgium’s deepening military commitment in NATO. According to Belgium’s Ministry of Defence, these deployments aim to demonstrate “readiness, resilience, and a visible deterrent presence” amid escalating tensions near NATO’s eastern and northern borders.
Originally launched in 1989 as HNLMS Willem van der Zaan by the Dutch Navy, the Louise-Marie became part of the Belgian Navy in 2005 and was rechristened in 2008. The ship is a Karel Doorman-class multi-role frigate, based out of Zeebrugge.
Displacing 2,800 tonnes at full load, it measures 122.3 meters long and 14.37 meters wide, with a draft of 6.2 meters. The propulsion system is Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG), allowing high-speed bursts via two Rolls-Royce Spey 1A gas turbines (33,800 horsepower combined) and economic cruising via two Stork-Werkspoor diesel engines (9,790 horsepower). It can reach speeds of up to 30 knots.
The frigate houses 145 personnel and supports helicopter operations through a full flight deck and hangar, typically hosting an NH90 NFH. Recent upgrades include the Thales SeaWatcher 100 radar and Gatekeeper EO system, significantly enhancing surface tracking and threat detection.
Weaponry:
- 1x 76mm OTO Melara naval gun
- 8x Harpoon anti-ship missiles
- 16-cell Mk 48 VLS with RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles
Goalkeeper CIWS
- Mk 46 torpedoes via twin launchers
- Machine guns and FN MAG light arms for close defense
The ship’s radar suite consists of the Thales SMART-S 3D, Thales STIR 1.8 fire-control radar, and the Signaal PHS-36 sonar, enabling 360-degree threat detection.
The RIM-7 Sea Sparrow, a short-range, semi-active radar homing missile developed in the 1960s, is central to Louise-Marie’s air defense. It remains a staple among NATO surface vessels, despite the arrival of the more advanced RIM-162 ESSM.
Weighing 230 kg, 3.66 meters long, and powered by a solid rocket motor, the RIM-7 reaches speeds above Mach 2.5 and has an effective range of up to 19 kilometers. Its 41 kg warhead can neutralize sea-skimming and high-diving aerial threats. The guidance system is integrated with fire-control radars like the STIR 1.8 aboard the Louise-Marie.
While many NATO fleets have upgraded to ESSM, Belgium continues using the RIM-7M variant, incorporating improved monopulse radar seekers and enhanced targeting algorithms. These allow greater precision against low-profile threats like cruise missiles.
In 2018, Louise-Marie successfully fired two Sea Sparrows and one Harpoon during a multinational exercise off Norway, affirming its combat readiness. However, in 2024, a Sea Sparrow malfunctioned mid-launch, becoming stuck in its VLS. Repairs were completed by April 2025, enabling the ship to rejoin high-readiness missions.
On May 7, 2025, the Louise-Marie successfully launched a Sea Sparrow missile as part of the live-fire component of Formidable Shield. The test took place off Norway’s Andøya range and served as a final validation of both the frigate’s systems and its crew’s operational readiness. According to Commander Gacas, the launch “demonstrates our capability to defend ourselves and our allies against modern missile threats in real-time conditions.”
The operation required tight integration with NATO’s broader command network. Real-time tracking from AWACS platforms and coordination with the De Ruyter enabled seamless engagement of the target. This scenario emphasized how air, sea, and ground elements can operate as one under NATO’s distributed architecture.
Formidable Shield also includes ground-based units like NASAMS, NOMADS, and HIMARS, all participating in synchronized engagement planning. Pre-planned response drills involve NATO-wide coordination, simulating realistic threat environments ranging from hypersonic missile intercepts to layered air defense against drone swarms.
Formidable Shield 2025 underscores a broader trend: Belgium’s increasingly forward-leaning defense posture. The country has sent naval assets into contested waters, integrated into multinational task groups, and contributed to high-stakes NATO missions across the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Arctic.
Louise-Marie’s participation in Operation Atalanta, Operation Sophia, and Operation Aspides reveals a commitment to security not just in Europe but along key global maritime corridors. Its symbolic 2013 passage through London with soil from Flanders Field also speaks to Belgium’s blending of tradition with modern force projection.
Though a mid-sized navy, Belgium’s strategic value lies in its highly interoperable platforms and willingness to assume visible roles in deterrence efforts. Its focus on modernization, such as the 2024 radar upgrades and the Sea Sparrow validation, ensures that legacy platforms like Louise-Marie remain effective in an era of emerging threats.
Formidable Shield 2025 isn’t just a naval drill—it’s a strategic signal. In an age of hybrid threats, long-range missiles, and contested sea lanes, NATO is betting on interoperability, coordination, and technology integration as the pillars of its collective defense.
Belgium’s Louise-Marie exemplifies that philosophy. From Baltic patrols to Arctic surveillance to live missile launches in the North Sea, the ship has proven itself as more than just a symbol. It’s a fully capable node in NATO’s integrated defense. And as the Sea Sparrow soared into the Norwegian sky on May 7, it sent a clear message: NATO’s shield is not only formidable, but active, unified, and ready.
