Ex Trident Juncture 2018: Slovakia is to join NATOʼs largest military exercise

Members of the Slovak Armed Forces will join in with 31 Allied and partner countries, to exercise their capabilities on NATOʼs Ex Trident Juncture 2018. This is the largest exercise of the North Atlantic Alliance since the end of the Cold War, involving up to 45,000 troops.

 

On TRJ18, Minister of Defence Peter Gajdoš explained: “Our soldiers and their colleagues from NATO and partner countries will exercise the ability of NATO to plan and conduct Article 5 operations, ranging from tactical level training to command structures.” He emphasised that “Such exercises are inevitable for NATOʼs unity and interoperability.”

 

NATOʼs Ex Trident Juncture 2018 will be divided into two parts – Command Post Exercise (CPX) and Live Exercise (LIVEX). As part of TRJ18 CPX, 5 SVK soldiers will be posted to Italy, to participate in planning and coordinating intelligence activities and logistics of air operations, designating targets, and exercising control of air defence systems and indirect fire support. As part of TRJ18 LIVEX, another 4 SVK personnel will deploy to Norway, to perform specific tasks such as planning and controlling land and air operations, CBRN operations, force protection, and medical support.
 

 

Ex Trident Juncture 2018, which runs from 25 October through 23 November 2018, will unfold in central and eastern Norway, the areas adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea, in Italy and in Finnish and Norwegian airspace. The participating nations have committed approx. 150 aircraft, 70 vessels and 10,000 vehicles in support of the exercise.