Trident Juncture 2018, the most important NATO exercise since the Cold War.

Exercise Trident Juncture 2018, described as the most important since the end of the Cold War, will gather in October and November, 40,000 soldiers and sailors, 150 aircraft and 70 ships from 31 countries.

The Italian armed forces participate in Trident Juncture 2018 with some 1,200 troops, making Italy one of the main contributors to the exercise.(Picture source: NATO)

The first naval aviation activities will take place in Iceland from October 15th to 17th. Most of Trident Juncture will take place from 25 October to 7 November in Norway, Sweden and Finland. The build-up phase is already seeing the national contingents prepare for their deployment: from 1 October to 14, the British are moving 1,600 soldiers and a thousand vehicles. The transmitters of the 4th Infantry Brigade arrived on October 6th.

This is to test the establishment of a reaction force within the framework of Article 5 of the Alliance: this article provides that, if one of the members of the Alliance is attacked, the NATO in its entirety automatically comes to its rescue. For the scenario chosen here, 5,000 Alliance soldiers will land in Norway under Canadian General Christian Juneau. Among them, 600 French 3rd RIMa to be integrated into a brigade under German command (Germany will engage 8,000 military and 2,000 vehicles, including 200 armored).

On the US side, 300 marines arrived in Norway on 3 October to join the 700 or so USMC soldiers already there. An amphibious force is also on the way. It carries elements of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit; it involves USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) and USS New York (LPD 21). The 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion and its LAV-ATs are participating in the exercise.