BRUSSELS – Russia and Belarus have been invited to observe NATO’s biggest military exercises since the end of the Cold War, which are being held in Norway from Oct. 25 to Nov. 5.
Called “Trident Juncture,” the exercises will test the ability of the alliance to restore the sovereignty of an ally after an act of armed aggression.
According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, all 29 NATO allies, along with partner countries Finland and Sweden, will participate in Trident Juncture. The exercises will involve 65 ships, 250 aircraft, 10,000 vehicles and 50,000 personnel.
“This is a strong display of our capabilities and of our resolve to work together,” Stoltenberg said at a press conference at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on Oct. 24.
“In recent years, Europe’s security environment has significantly deteriorated. NATO has responded with the biggest adaptation of our collective defense since the end of the Cold War. Trident Juncture demonstrates that adaptation. The scenario is fictitious, but the lessons we learn will be real.”
He said Russia and Belarus had accepted the invitation to observe the exercises, as had representatives from other states that are members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
“The NATO allies respect the OSCE’s Vienna Document on the transparency of military activities, both in letter and in spirit, while Russia has not given notification of a single exercise since the end of the Cold War,” Stoltenberg said, adding that “NATO is a defensive alliance.”
According to exercise scenario, the participants will split into “South forces” and “North forces” and will take turns playing the role of the fictitious aggressor and the NATO defending forces.
“The exercise will test … our ability to reinforce an allied country with troops and equipment from North America and from across Europe,” Stoltenberg said.
“It will test and certify the NATO Response Force for 2019. So Trident Juncture sends a clear message to our nations and to any potential adversary: NATO does not seek confrontation, but we stand ready to defend all allies against any threat.”
