Exercise Trident Juncture

Discuss current, historical or potential future deployments, as well the defence of the UK's overseas interests.
benny14
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Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by benny14 »

Looking forward to Trident Juncture. Most UK forces will be crossing the channel and then moving up towards Denmark before crossing over to Norway. Some units are taking the channel tunnel train to France, others are moving over to the Netherlands/Belgium by ferry.

Units confirmed as taking part are 4th Infantry brigade with 1 Duke of Lancaster and the Light Dragoons. 1 Royal Irish from 7th brigade are also attached to 4th. Supported by units from 32 Engineer regiment, 2 Logistic brigade and 4 Logistic brigade.

Exercise details. Seems that a Danish battlegroup and Polish mech company will be operating under our brigade HQ. The UK classes this as a JEF deployment.
Image

250 vehicles and 500 troops re-supplying at Merville Barracks, Colchester before getting on the ferry. Seem to be well equipped for light role infantry battalions.
Image

32 Engineer regiment on the move.
Image

A squadron from 6 RLC. Taking the Ferry from Hull to the Netherlands.


Loading a Point-class up at Marchwood Military Port.


Loading equipment on to a train to cross the channel tunnel.

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

Thx benny, I consider it to be the most important ex in Europe this year - certainly deserves a thread.

In this sneak preview (2014 input to Norway's Defence Review) one can see on slide 5 https://cms.polsci.ku.dk/events/airpowe ... Dyndal.pdf
the emphasis on providing dispersed bases for NATO fighter force to operate from.

Here is also a snippet from an interview with their Air Chief, from the planning stage for this year's exercise:
"Question: Clearly, with core allies in the region operating similar platforms, notably F-35 and P-8, there are significant opportunities for interoperability built in, but obviously these potentials need to become realities.

How best to ensure that happens?

Major General [Tonje] Skinnarland: “With the UK, the US, the Danes and the Dutch operating the same combat aircraft, there are clear opportunities to shape new common operational capabilities.

Also crucial is to shape a strong European F-35 sustainment base to ensure that we get the kind of sortie generation capabilities inherent in the aircraft, but you need the right kind of logistical support to achieve the outcomes you want."
- in 2018 it will still be a matter of simulating, with a handful of a/c, the demands of deploying a hundred, upwards to 150, 5th Gen fighters

Mind you, in a different part of the interview she adds
"In May/June 2017 this invitex will see [interview in Feb 2017, By Robbin Laird, for Second Line of Defense] more than one hundred fighter aircraft from 8 nations, including the UK and US, participating in high quality training in the Nordic countries.

You also have other national exercises which are important in shaping our concepts of operations."
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
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benny14
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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by benny14 »

2,700 UK personnel participating. Are we sending any RN or RAF assets?


Forces arrive in Rotterdam. 2,000km road trip.

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

A substantial part of the Ex takes place between Iceland and Norway
- what has not been "revealed" yet is what (if any) air assets will operate out of Norway airfields/ temp. bases

Also, no mention (yet?) of RM involvement
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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

arfah wrote: 70km per hour convoy road speed.
Would it be a real test of logistics that the lead pulls into a commercial petrol station, the 2nd takes the lead... and about the 10th pulls in as the lead is already leaving... in a good old F1 style

Organising self-sustaining stops (granular; 10 vehicles at a time, from fuel carried in the convoy?) would press the avg speed well down?
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

PS. 3 logs & engineers units for 3 bn sized combat units
- would point to them trying to do it for real
- with simulated "no bridge here" events... how long would it take to get the relevant asset in-situ to rectify that? And then just, cooly, drive over the bridge that is "still" there :)
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by benny14 »

Some key snippets from the exercise conference.

The core of the exercise is the "NATO Response Force and within that, the 5000 person-plus Spearhead force, otherwise known as the Very High Readiness Joint Taskforce." The German "Contribution of 8,500 personnel is part of the German-Netherlands Corps, which is part and parcel of the 5 thousand-plus Spearhead"

"Six brigades training, they train both offensive and defensive operations,"

The USS Truman strike group is joining the exercise with around 6,000 personnel. Taking the total up to around 51,000.

This exercise will be testing the logistics behind the 30/30/30 concept. "we will demonstrate that with the heavy logistics capability that will be demonstrated in this exercise. I think I have said it before: logistics is the sixth domain of warfare. And you can see that play out through Trident Juncture."

"When you are talking about moving over 45 thousand soldiers, sailors and marines, over 60 ships – large ships, 120 aircraft and 10 thousand vehicles to respond to a crisis, that is no small feat. It has to be done through sealift, airlift or by land. The United Kingdom has chosen to drive its force on the land, so they’re testing their ability to do that through landlines."

"we have about 10% of the personnel and the equipment on the ground right now. So we’ve got a heavy lift over the next 18 days to get the rest of those folks there and ready to defend"

"The whole of NRF will be deployed, it’s a brigade part of the German Netherland brigade, it will deploy from Europe it will finish an exercise, get on ships and aircraft and fly in theatre like it would happen during a conflict."

"More than 10 thousand Norwegian troops will participate directly or indirectly, and both on the tactical and operational level"

"I would also like to highlight the excellent partnership we have with our neighbouring countries Sweden and Finland, who will host aircraft deployments and make their airspace available for operations."

https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/opinions_159119.htm

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

benny14 wrote:Six brigades training
1 Norway-regular; another Home Guard?. One German; one Brit. USMC (pre-stored heavy kit)...makes 5. Some Dutch... sprinkle in RM = total of 6?
benny14 wrote: logistics is the sixth domain of warfare. And you can see that play out through Trident Juncture
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by benny14 »

ArmChairCivvy wrote:1 Norway-regular; another Home Guard?. One German; one Brit. USMC (pre-stored heavy kit)...makes 5. Some Dutch... sprinkle in RM = total of 6?
"After British troops travel across Europe by ferry, road and rail to Norway, they will train alongside their Danish and Polish counterparts integrating their equipment, drills and personnel to become a multinational, combat ready brigade. Formed of a Battalion from the Royal Irish Regiment with a Company from the Lancashire Regiment, the Battlegroup will be supported by Artillery, Engineers, Signals, Intelligence, Force Protection and Medical attachments."

"British led Battlegroup joining forces with other brigades led by Germany and Italy."

Multinational brigades. So a UK led Brigade with Danish and Polish forces, a German/Dutch led Brigade, a Italian led Brigade, a US led Brigade and perhaps two Norwegian Brigades (10,000 personnel taking part)

"6 Royal Navy ships will set sail to the Norwegian Sea where they will form part of 2 multinational task groups operating throughout the exercise. The Royal Navy play a leading role in these groups, bringing diving and bomb disposal capabilities, antisubmarine warfare capabilities, and their proven ability to lead a NATO task force."

If we are leading a task force then I think a Type 45 is a given. Bomb disposal means 1-3 MCMs. For anti-submarine, I would guess a submarine and 1-2 Type 23s.

"Trident Juncture provides an excellent opportunity to train and carry out complex air operations between allied forces under rough Norwegian weather conditions. The Royal Air Force will exercise remotely from the UK, training and providing cutting edge air defence, as well as providing Hawk aircraft to act as the enemy during the exercise."

Royal Air Force participation seems to be hawks for aggressor training, as well as other aircraft operating out of the UK in the Atlantic.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... ed-to-know

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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by RetroSicotte »

Add up this, Sain Sareef, Estonia, Mali, Shader and the numerous others.

That's a lot of people being moved around to big things all at once or being held on active deployment, with one of them being a combat op.

There's over 9,100 personnel deployed on Sareef, Trident, Estonia, (on ground in) Iraq and Afghanistan alone, for example.

Shows just the sort of deployment support still available.

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

benny14 wrote:other brigades led by Germany and Italy."

Multinational brigades.
Thx, you found the "missing, 6th, brigade"
- we have some numbers on major participators now: Norway 10.000, Germany, variously 8 to 8.5k, would UK be coming in as a good third?
benny14 wrote:Bomb disposal means 1-3 MCMs
Could also involve advance beach recce and clearance... which normally involves clearance divers. Hrrr!
RetroSicotte wrote:Shows just the sort of deployment support still available.
It is a good message (sent by having these major exercises close together, timewise) that being involved in one theatre does not necessarily distract nor sap the resources to react elsewhere
- compare with this synopsis by military.com of a recent 500 p report on US capability-cum-capacity:
["]"The U.S. does not have the right force to meet a two major regional contingency (two-MRC) requirement and is not ready to carry out its duties effectively," the 2017 Index stated. "Consequently, as we have seen during the past few years, the U.S. risks seeing its interests increasingly challenged and the world order it has led since World War II undone."
- italics added

An encouraging sign in the latest report from Heritage, which is seen as being close to the Trump administration, is the improved readiness of the Army's brigade combat teams, but the Index also warned that those gains will diminish without increased funding in future defense budgets.

The Index characterized the Army's readiness as having improved from "weak" to "strong," and Wood credited the upgrade to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and his focus on readiness since taking office."
- very lately Mattis has turned his fire on the fighter force, upping [over what period?] the readiness by a whopping 10% of the existing fleet
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by benny14 »

ArmChairCivvy wrote:Thx, you found the "missing, 6th, brigade"
- we have some numbers on major participators now: Norway 10.000, Germany, variously 8 to 8.5k, would UK be coming in as a good third?
Just putting a list together. May not be 100% accurate and may include a mix of Land, Sea and Air forces. Let me know if you spot anything.

51,000 in total.

Norway - 10,000
US - 2,000 MEU, 2,000 ESG and 6,000 CSG
Germany - 5,800
France - 3,000 (600~ in German brigade)
UK - 2,700
Sweden - 2,400
Finland - 2,200
Dutch - 2,200 (800~ in German brigade)
Canada - 1,900
Italy - 1,200



The German led VJTF brigade includes: "Two Norwegian-Dutch Panzergrenadier battalions, a German tank battalion and a French infantry battalion". The following countries provide units: Netherlands, Norway, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Latvia and Lithuania.

"There are about 4,000 soldiers from the German army for the VJTF (L) provided. In addition, there are around 1,000 soldiers from the other organizational areas of the Bundeswehr as well as the personnel from other nations. A total of about 8,000 soldiers." Some figures have said 8,800, I think some none brigade German units are participating.

Image

VJTF works on a three year rotation. A "stand-up" phase in the first year, then a "stand-by" phase in the second year and finally into the "stand-down" phase.

Stand-up brigade - 45 day reaction time.
Stand-by brigade - 2-3 day reaction time for its lead battalion and 5-7 days for its remaining three battalions.
Stand-down brigade - 30 days reaction time

The "stand-up and "stand-down" brigades remain as "Initial Follow On Forces Group" (IFFG) ready to respond at a delayed pace.

Image

In addition, it seems part of the US contribution is a Marine MEU. USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), USS New York (LPD 21) and USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) will be participating with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit onboard.

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/295641/24 ... uncture-18

Italian armoured brigade Ariete with 1,200.

http://www.highnorthnews.com/first-load ... in-norway/
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_157799.htm

Canada will send approximately 1,900 personnel.

"Two frigates and two maritime coastal defence vessels. A Canadian Army light infantry battalion supported by a Brigade Head Quarter. Eight CF-188 Hornet, one CC-150 Polaris aerial refueller, and two CP-140 maritime patrol aircraft. A Joint Task Force Support Component from Canadian Forces Joint Operations Support Group. A National Command Element from 1st Canadian Division HQ"

http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/operations-e ... cture.page

2,200 Finnish. Some will be part of a Swedish brigade.

https://puolustusvoimat.fi/en/article/- ... a-suomessa

2,400 Swedish

https://www.forsvarsmakten.se/sv/var-ve ... -juncture/

600 French within the German brigade.
3,000 in total.
http://lignesdedefense.blogs.ouest-fran ... 19713.html
https://translate.google.co.uk/translat ... operations

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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by benny14 »

arfah wrote:2000km / 70km per hour convoy road speed.

They’ll smash that in two days if their intent is to push.
Otherwise, three or four.
5 days of travel.


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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

benny14 wrote:Canada will send approximately 1,900 personnel.
Thanks again. In addition to the "missing bde" that was what I have been looking for. As the earmarking of Canadian units to the northern flank (as it used to be) has not been confirmed/ communicated widely.
- good boots they have. I use them; so do the RM (when they go somewhere cold)
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by benny14 »

ArmChairCivvy wrote: Thanks again. In addition to the "missing bde" that was what I have been looking for. As the earmarking of Canadian units to the northern flank (as it used to be) has not been confirmed/ communicated widely.
- good boots they have. I use them; so do the RM (when they go somewhere cold)
Found the exercise details. Brigades from Norway, Canada, Sweden and a USMC force as one side. German/Dutch Corps with brigades from Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom as the other side.

This is the exercise area.
"The field exercise spans large air, sea and land areas (see map below). Land forces will exercise in the area south of Trondheim and north of Oslo (red box). Maritime forces will operate in the sea along the Norwegian coast, and southwards to northern Scotland. In addition, there will be some maritime activity in the Skagerrak and the Baltic Sea (dark blue boxes). Air forces will operate in the air space over central Norway and parts of Sweden and Finland (blue box)."
Image

Another interesting map. Basing I think.
Image

"Around 60 ships and 180 flights of equipment and personnel will come to Norway. From the arrival points, the equipment will be transported to the exercise areas by road and rail. The following seaports and airports will be used:
•Seaports: Borg, Åndalsnes, Orkanger, Fiborgtangen
•Airports: Gardermoen, Røros, Kristiansund, Ørland, Værnes"
Image

"Live Field Exercise
(LIVEX), 25 October– 7 November

Land
During the exercise, a northern force and a southern force will play against each other. The northern force is led by NATO's Allied Land Command and has forces from the Norwegian Brigade Nord and brigades from Canada and Sweden. In addition, there will be
an amphibious warfare force from the U.S. Marine Corps. The southern force will be led by the I. German/Dutch Corps and consists of brigades from Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Both headquarters will be established at Camp Jørstadmoen
in Lillehammer. The Norwegian Home Guard participates with rapid-reaction forces and other personnel.

The battle will be played out in two phases. From 31 October to 3 November, the northern force will attack the south force, supported by an amphibious operation from the U.S. Marine Corps. From 4 to 7 November, the southern force will gain the initiative and carry
out a counter-attack against the northern force."

Air
"NATO Allied Air Command at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, is in charge of planning the air activity, while the Norwegian National Air Operations Centre (NAOC) plans and coordinates the Norwegian participation and host country support in cooperation with the Norwegian Joint Headquarters.

The air forces will operate from four Norwegian airports, in addition to Kallax, Sweden and Rovaniemi, Finland. Air operations will take place in the entire exercise area, but mainly in northern Norway and Sweden. The air forces will support the land forces in the field exercise area, and the maritime forces off the coast of western and central Norway."
Image

Sea
The maritime forces will primarily exercise in the Norwegian Sea along the coast from the city of Bergen in Western Norway and northwards up to Vestfjorden in Nordland County.

The maritime forces are divided into two main forces that will fight each other. The northern maritime force will have forces from Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Turkey, and the USA. The southern maritime force
consists of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 and 2 (SNMG1 and SNMG2).

https://forsvaret.no/en/ForsvaretDocume ... nglish.pdf

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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

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I was wondering what the Swedes and Finns are doing there? The boxes on the map* explain that (exc. for Finland; bigger than the UK and about 0.05% of its area captured?)
- do a ZAPAD 2017; declare an area.., which was no further to the North than St. Pete. And, then!, go and block GPS signals all the way to the Alta Fjord (well into Norway)

Bodo is the main HQ (not necessarily for this Ex) and the arrow marking sizeable forces to the Lofoten Islands, to the North of it, to me is a script for a counter-/ flanking move.
- only the USMC MEU declared, where are the 'usual suspects', the UK-NL Combined Marines force?

+++++++++++++
* the brown markings on the map, not corresponding to any topography, also would indicate the blocking positions, i.e how far back you would have pulled, before starting the counter moves to a surprise attack?
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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

OK. the senario/ script seems to be updating all the time, so rather than edit my first comment:
benny14 wrote: The northern force is led by NATO's Allied Land Command and has forces from the Norwegian Brigade Nord and brigades from Canada and Sweden.
Call the Canada + Sweden a demi-Bde? Anyway, they have the right kit for doing aggressive manoeuvreing in the demanding terrain.
benny14 wrote:The northern force is led by NATO's Allied Land Command and has forces from the Norwegian Brigade Nord and brigades from Canada and Sweden. In addition, there will be
an amphibious warfare force from the U.S. Marine Corps.
- OK, that corresponds to the role of one out of the 4 Marines bdes that Russia has (and has one of them permanently there, for this kind of flanking movement... the shipping does not allow for much more than that... invading Spitzbergen and where ever else would be an airborne Op)
benny14 wrote:The air forces will operate from four Norwegian airports, in addition to Kallax, Sweden and Rovaniemi, Finland
- OK, so the boxes were for Air Ops. Rovaniemi already had similar numbers of a/c based out of there... was a juicy target for both sides during the Cold War, with its 3 km runway. You can pock mark that a lot... or put B-52s onto it.
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by benny14 »

ArmChairCivvy wrote:I was wondering what the Swedes and Finns are doing there?
From Sweden:
"Norway is being attacked by foreign countries and NATO and partners are coming to Norway's rescue. For Sweden, we are building this on the declaration of solidarity that Sweden adopted on the basis of the Lisbon Treaty.

This means that Sweden will not be inactive if a disaster or attack would affect another EU country or Nordic country. We expect these countries to act in the same way if Sweden is affected. We should therefore be able to provide and receive support, both civilian and military."

"Primary goods are transported through Sweden, but some countries will also transport personnel. Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Great Britain, France and the United States."

From Finland:
"Finnish Army units participating in the exercise will include an infantry company from the Pori Brigade and the company will train as a part of a Swedish brigade. The exercise is a part of planned military cooperation between Finland and Sweden. Finnish Navy units participating in the exercise will include naval and coastal units in the training framework of Northern Coasts 18 in Finland and the Amphibious Task Unit (ATU) from the Nyland Brigade. Finland will lead exercise Northern Coasts 18 and this is the third time it is held in Finland. The exercise missions for Trident Juncture 18 will be flown mainly in Norwegian airspace with some activity also in Sweden and Finland. During the exercise, in addition to Finnish Air Force aircraft, also 1-2 foreign flight detachments will be operating from the Rovaniemi air base."

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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by benny14 »

ArmChairCivvy wrote:OK. the senario/ script seems to be updating all the time, so rather than edit my first comment:
My bad, had a bit extra to add and the layout was all messed up. Done now, promise. :D

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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

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benny14 wrote:My bad, had a bit extra to add
Not bad at all... just that it could go unnoticed (get buried :( )
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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

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benny14 wrote:Finnish Army units participating in the exercise will include an infantry company from the Pori Brigade and the company will train as a part of a Swedish brigade.
OK, I know that you are quoting but in the wider context (aside from this Ex) these are contract reservist soldiers that as a matter of routine train with Swedish Forces, one of the reasons being that Sweden has volunteered to be the framework nation for the rotating EU standing forces.
benny14 wrote:the declaration of solidarity that Sweden adopted on the basis of the Lisbon Treaty.
Again, to be exact, everyone that signed up to Lisbon agreed to that. Just that Sweden, unilaterally and much later (after Crimea) gave a declaration what they saw that EU-clad verbose thing to mean in their home region: Scandinavia being delineated by the Atlantic on the one side and the Baltic on the other
- pretty much the area covered by the Ex (the previous one focussed on the sourthern Baltic Sea)
RE " The northern force is led by NATO's Allied Land Command and has forces from the Norwegian Brigade Nord and brigades from Canada and Sweden. In addition, there will bean amphibious warfare force from the U.S. Marine Corps"
- Sweden and Finland invading Norway, to take their oil & gas fields; why did they not think of that earlier :D ?
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by benny14 »

ArmChairCivvy wrote:- Sweden and Finland invading Norway, to take their oil & gas fields; why did they not think of it earlier :D ?
What about the UK teaming up with Germany and Italy to invade Norway... :o
ArmChairCivvy wrote:OK, I know that you are quoting but in the wider context
I agree. These were just comments that the Finnish and Swedish military said in regards to Trident Juncture.

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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

benny14 wrote:What about the UK teaming up with [...] to invade Norway... :o
We are running out of own oil and (bar fracking) gas, so... :D
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

Post by benny14 »

Ships participating in TJ are:

HMS Enterprise
HMS Cattistock
HMS Hurworth
HMS Grimsby
HMS Ramsey
HMS Northumberland
HMS Westminster

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Re: Exercise Trident Juncture

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Dutch involvement. I think the land element is under the German brigade.
Image

Aircraft taking part. Hawker and E3 for the UK.
Image

UK vehicle route.
"Over the next few days, 70 Foxhound, Husky and Landrover vehicles will make the 2,000km journey from the Hook of Holland harbour through northern Europe to Norway. The UK convoy's move through the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Sweden will test how efficiently soldiers and equipment can move between European countries. It will also test customs, border regulations and infrastructure's ability to cope with rapid and heavy troop movements."

https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_159316.htm

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