NATO launches largest live joint exercise in over 10 years

NATO is in the middle of the biggest and most ambitious exercise in more than a decade that challenges troops and commanders from 27 member nations to tackle a series of demanding training events; the exercise runs through Nov. 6 and is dubbed Exercise Trident Juncture 2015, and it will increase the readiness of troops in the NATO Response Force (NRF) for responding to a wide range of challenges.

Trident Juncture aims to ensure that various allied military commands can work together seamlessly.

Military forces will also be collaborating with 12 international NGO partners to engage in crisis response situations.

Trident Juncture 2015 is the largest NATO exercise since 2002. More than 36 thousand air, land, maritime and special forces troops from 30 nations will be involved. That encompasses more than 230 units, 140 aircraft and 60 ships.

On Oct. 21, Trident Juncture begins its live exercise which will be hosted by Italy, Portugal and Spain.

The commanding officer for the exercise is German General Hans-Lothar Domröse, Commander of NATO’s JFC Brunssum command in the Netherlands. International observers, including representatives from Russia, will also have access.

Participating in the exercise alongside NATO are the European Union, the OSCE, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the African Union.