Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE 18 LIVEX
LTC Lars SUNDNES ( NOR ) and MAJ Mark KERR ( GBR ) LANDCOM G7
LANDCOM will play several key roles in the largest NATO field training exercise since the end of the Cold War .
Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE 2018 is an Allied Command Transformation sponsored two level ( Operational and Tactical ) joint exercise taking place in Northwest Europe in October and November 2018 . There are two parts to the exercise , a Field Training Exercise ( LIVEX ) and a Command Post Exercise ( CPX ). The LIVEX will see the deployment of over 40,000 personnel , 120 aircraft , 70 Naval vessels and 10,000 vehicles to the exercise area . The Host Nation is Norway , although Sweden , Finland and Iceland also play roles in hosting forces .
A soldier sights in his target reference point for his fighting position .
The construct of the LIVEX is almost unique in NATO exercise history . It is a two-party , force on force exercise : two equal forces , comprised of NATO and Partner Armed Forces will battle each other on land , sea and in the air . All 29 NATO nations and two partner nations are participating . Beyond the military , several Non-Governmental Organisations and International Organisations will also take part in the exercise .
LANDCOM led the planning and preparation of the Land elements of the LIVEX , and will play vital roles in its execution . The Land element of the LIVEX will see two Divisional sized forces go head-to-head across hundreds of kilometres of central Norway , ranging from Trondheim in the North to Lillehammer in the South . None of this is a
military training area – it is all public or private land . The two Land Components will be commanded by 1st German Netherlands Corps ( 1GNC ) and by LANDCOM . Each of these headquarters will have three multinational Brigades under command – 1GNC will have a German , a British and an Italian multinational Brigade ; and LANDCOM will have a Canadian , a Norwegian and a Swedish multinational Brigade . While these six countries are the lead nations in the multinational Brigades , each Brigade comprises Land Forces of several NATO or Partner nations .
This exercise will prove hugely demanding for participating units : the weather and the terrain will be unfamiliar to most , and the multinational nature of Brigades , Battalions and in some cases even Companies will test Alliance interoperability . It will be a hugely beneficial training event for NATO – the realism of actually deploying forces on this scale , having them received by a Host Nation , and then employing them tactically in a challenging climate and terrain will provide huge training value .
TRIDENT JUNCTURE 2018 LIVEX is designated as a High-Visibility exercise for NATO , a venue to showcase NATO fighting power and a vehicle for Strategic Communication . The whole exercise is likely to see heavy media attention and high-level visits . On October 30 2018 , NATO will conduct a Distinguished Visitors ( DV ) Day and Media Day near Trondheim .
LAND POWER 17