A MASSIVE air and sea military exercise is taking place off the west coast of Scotland.

Operation Neptune Warrior brings together 7000 military staff from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Holland, Denmark and the US.

The Nato-led exercise will see 19 ships, 20 helicopters and up to 60 fixed-wing aircraft engaged in a series of battle scenarios on the Clyde.

They will face tough air and sea challenges as part of intensive training over the next two weeks.

UK forces will be at the forefront of what is a high-profile international mission with aircraft carriers HMS Ark Royal and HMS Illustrious and amphibious assault ship HMS Albion at the helm.

The exercise - which takes place during the 25th anniversary of the Falklands conflict - is also aimed at showing off the Royal Navy's impressive fleet of state-of-the-art ships.

HMS Albion is among 28 new ships and submarines delivered to the Royal Navy over the past decade.

Rear Admiral Tony Johnson-Burt, who served in the Falklands, is now the Royal Navy's Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland and Flag Officer Reserves.

He said of the new naval exercise: "We have invested £14billion in the past 10 years building 28 new ships and we have created an incredibly flexible amphibious capability which far exceeds what we had 25 years ago."

HMS Albion is among the Royal Navy vessels taking part.

U-boats and torpedoes will attack HMS Albion and it will be challenged to get all troops and crafts safely ashore.

Engineering Technician Weapons Engineering (ETWE) Jacqueline McNeish, 20, is a member of the crew of HMS Albion.

ETWE McNeish, who works on the landing craft and maintains weapons, said: "I joined HMS Albion in January after 10 months of training. We all get on well and it is good fun."

Surgeon Lieutenant Allana Macleod, 24, is part of the same crew and she said: "There are not many women in the Navy and this is my first experience in a ship but you quickly get used to it."