NATO Secretary General, SACEUR Visit Trident Juncture Maritime Assets

ATLANTIC OCEAN (October 12,  2018)  Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Curtis M. Scaparrotti,  NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg,  and Commander Allied Maritime Command Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone visit the Royal Danish Navy Absalon-class support ship HDMS Esbern Snare (L17). (NATO photo)

ATLANTIC OCEAN – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Curtis M. Scaparrotti, and Commander Allied Maritime Command Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone visited forward-deployed maritime assets in preparation for Exercise Trident Juncture, Oct. 12, 2018.

During the visit, the group was able to visit U.S. aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) and Royal Danish Navy Absalon-class support ship HDMS Esbern Snare (L17). Both ships are scheduled to participate in Trident Juncture.

"The upcoming exercise, Trident Juncture 2018, ensures NATO forces can work together in time of crisis. It will be an important test and a demonstration of our collective capabilities," said General Scaparrotti. "With all 29 nations, as well as Finland and Sweden participating across air, land and sea, this Trident Juncture exercise is a prime example of NATO Allies and partners working together. Trident Juncture 18 will demonstrate that, in an unpredictable world, NATO remains an anchor of stability."

The group began their visit aboard Truman meeting with Sailors and leadership while also getting first hand views of some of the ship's jets taking off from the aircraft carrier's flight deck. Many of the ship's capabilities will be on display during Trident Juncture.

"Trident Juncture is a very important exercise. It is the biggest exercise in many years in NATO. It shows that we can work together, 29 Allies, two partners - Sweden and Finland - with land forces, air forces and maritime forces," said Secretary General Stoltenberg. "And just the fact that we are able to deploy that many naval forces in the Atlantic, in the Norwegian Sea, in the way we will do during the Trident Juncture, show how NATO is able to deliver and also actually how NATO has been able to adapt to a more demanding, to a more challenging security environment."

After their tour of Truman, the group made their way to the Royal Danish Navy's Esbern Snare which serves as the flagship for one of NATO's multinational naval groups. While aboard, they toured tour of the ship, met with Sailors and witnessed a jet formation flyover. Esbern Snare and Truman will be two of approximately sixty other ships participating in Trident Juncture 2018.

According to Admiral James G. Foggo, Commander of NATO's Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Truman recently returned to theatre after a brief trip back to the United States demonstrating the U.S. Navy's flexibility and readiness to rapidly respond to crisis around the world at a moments notice.

"We're boiling down Trident Juncture to a core theme of just a few words, I call it the three D's, NATO is a Defensive Alliance, Trident Juncture Demonstrates our credible capability and together we Deter potential adversaries, " said Foggo, who is responsible for conducting the exercise."

Exercise Trident Juncture is scheduled to run from Oct. 25 to Nov. 7. In total approximately 50 thousand personnel will be involved in the exercise. Key events will include multiple air, land and sea exercises along with an all-encompassing distinguished visitor day where all assets will be on display for leadership to view.