As one of 150 warships from six NATO nations, in September 1957, "Gainard" participated in Exercise "Strikeback," large-scale combined fleet manoeuvres that ranged over the North Atlantic to waters adjacent to the British Isles, between Iceland and the Faroes, and into the Norwegian Sea and portions of the North Sea. This was only one of many operations in which "Gainard" made important contributions to improve the overall combat readiness of forces earmarked for the Allied command in defence of an outbreak during the Cold War.