First Load of Military Equipment for Trident Juncture 2018 Arrives in Norway

Last week, vehicles and equipment for NATO’s largest military exercise in recent years arrived from Italy to Norway.

This is the first batch of equipment arriving for the exercise, which will take place in late October and early November.

The equipment belongs to the Italian armoured brigade Ariete. The Italian Armed Forces will participate in Trident Juncture 2018 with some 1,200 troops, making Italy one of the main contributors to the exercise.

Bringing together more than 40,000 troops and equipment from more than 30 countries for the Trident Juncture exercise will be an enormous logistical undertaking, led by NATO’s Joint Force Command Naples. Some 130 logisticians are working on determining the best air, land and sea routes for the deployments, and facilitating the deployments.

All Allies, as well as partners Finland and Sweden, will participate in Trident Juncture 18.

The exercise will have an Article 5 (collective defence) scenario, and will be under the command of Admiral James G. Foggo, Commander of Joint Force Command Naples.

At a press briefing in Brussels earlier this summer Admiral Foggo gave the media a first preview of the exercise together with Vice Admiral Ketil Olsen, Military Representative of Norway to the NATO Military Committee.

"The sheer size of the exercise gives Norway as host nation an excellent opportunity to realistically train reception and support of substantial Allied reinforcements. And NATO gets to test their plans for the reinforcement of Norway. In sum, this strengthens our common capability to handle a crisis, should it ever come to that," Vice Admiral Olsen said.

In line with its obligations as host nation, Norway has already notified the OSCE about Trident Juncture 18 and all OSCE nations will be able to send observers. NATO also briefed Russia about this exercise during the last meeting of the NATO-Russia Council.

"NATO is a defensive Alliance.  We are not looking for a fight, but we are committed to defense and deterrence.  That is what this exercise is all about: training to defend, and providing a deterrent effect, ready to respond to any threat from any direction at any time," Admiral Foggo underlined.