Plans for Massive NATO exercise in Norway underway

Professor Rolf Tamnes,  Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies,  left,  and U.S. Navy Admiral James Foggo,  commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples,  participate in a question and answer session at the institute during Foggo’s Feb. 26,  2018,  visit to Oslo. Foggo visited various Norwegian sites,  Feb. 26 to 28,  to meet with officials about the upcoming Trident Juncture 18 NATO exercise. (Photo courtesy of the Norwegian Armed Forces/Haavard Madsbakken)

NAPLES, Italy – The most visible part of Exercise Trident Juncture 2018 is still some eight months away, but personnel from across NATO already have it on their mind.

Admiral James Foggo, commander of JFC Naples, visited various Norwegian locations and entities, Feb. 26 to 28, 2018 to talk to Norwegian Chief of Defence Admiral Haakon Bruun-Hanssen and his subordinate staff and commands about exercise preparations.

Foggo's visit comes simultaneously with the deployment of the JFC Naples' Operational Liaison and Reconnaissance Team, or OLRT, to Bodø, Norway. The role of the OLRT involves a small group of troops to liaise with Norwegian authorities along with military and civilian counterparts as the environment surrounding the exercise scenario develops.

Trident Juncture 18 is comprised of two parts: a live exercise conducted in and around Norway and a command post exercise conducted mostly in Naples.

Some 35,000 troops from 30 NATO members and partners, along with 70 ships and about 130 aircraft, are estimated to deploy to central and northern Norway in October for the live portion of the exercise. JFC Naples and designated subordinate commands will seek certification as the NATO Response Force 2019 during the command post portion of the exercise in Nov.

Trident Juncture 18 is the largest in a series of deliberately-planned exercises scheduled over several years to ensure that NATO forces are trained, able to operate together and ready to respond to a threat from any direction. Personnel at the headquarters of JFC Naples have started the crisis response planning phase for the upcoming exercise.

Story by Joint Force Command Naples Public Affairs Office