Exercise
TRIDENT JUNCTURE
By MAJ Mark Kerr ( GBR ), LANDCOM
Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE 2018 is an Allied Command Transformation sponsored two level ( Operational and Tactical ) joint exercise taking place in North-West 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 close to 30,000 land forces to Norway , and an equivalent amount of maritime and air assets deployed to Norway , Sweden , Finland and Iceland .
The construct of the LIVEX is unique in NATO exercise history . It will be a twoparty , 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 . Twenty-four nations are contributing military forces to play an active role in the exercise ; many more are sending staff officers and observers . Beyond the military , several Non-Governmental Organisations and International Organisations will also take part in the exercise .
LANDCOM has 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 hundred of kilometres of central Norway , ranging from Trondheim in the North to Lillehammer in the South . The two Land Components will be commanded by 1st German / Netherlands Corps ( 1GNC ) and by LANDCOM . Each of these HQs 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 .
In order to control this force-on-force battle , and to provide safety , real-life accident support and to liaise with landowners , the public and emergency services , LANDCOM and the Host Nation Norway will establish an organisation called the Joint Land Heavy Local Operations Control , which will act as an “ Exercise Control forward ” on behalf of the Exercise Director .
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 18 LIVEX is designated as a High-Visibility exercise for NATO – a venue to showcase NATO fighting power and a vehicle for Strategic Communication . This event will be attended by 400 high-level visitors and 200 international media and will comprise of an Air Power Display , a Joint Capability Demonstration in the form of an amphibious landing on a beach and a Land Forces Static Display . LANDCOM staff are responsible for elements of the Joint Capability Demonstration and the Land Forces Static Display . In total , TRIDENT JUNCTURE 18 LIVEX will see around 150 LANDCOM personnel deploy to Norway in October and November 2018 in one of the three roles outlined above .
LAND POWER19