Allied and Partner Interoperability successfully tested during Trident Juncture 15
General Petr Pavel, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee attended the Distinguished Visitors Day (DV Day) in Zaragoza, Spain, together with the NATO Secretary General, Mr Jens Stoltenberg, representatives of the North Atlantic Council and Military Committee and other high ranking officials. The DV day focused on the Land component of the Trident Juncture 2015 Exercise.
During his welcome remarks the Chairman applauded Spain for co-hosting the Exercise alongside Italy and Portugal and for its continued support to NATO operations and Missions. “I am grateful for all the effort Spain has put in to accommodate the training requirements of the troop-contributing nations, to prepare your training facilities and exercise ranges and for hosting all of us here today”.
Speaking on Trident Juncture 15, General Pavel commended all troops taking part and thanked all those who have been part of the planning and execution of Trident Juncture 15 for their hard work and dedication. The Chairman especially highlighted Allied Land Command for organizing the powerful demonstration of NATO Land Forces capabilities and assets during the Exercise.
During the Military Press Conference, General Pavel stressed the importance of Trident Juncture 15 as a way to prepare commands and forces for operating together in peace, crisis and conflict. Throughout Trident Juncture 15, the enhanced NRF, the VJTF, and many new concepts and procedures are being tested. And aside from the practical training, exercising and execution of TRJE15, important lessons are being identified and learnt and best practices exchanged. The Chairman stated, “while NATO Nations have some of the most highly trained forces in the world, it is precisely – and perhaps controversially – during these types of exercises that all the deficiencies need to be observed, documented and especially analyzed and corrected. So that NATO and Partner Nations and organizations are well prepared to face any threat or crisis emanating from any direction”.
Concluding his visit, having witnessed the LIVEX demonstration and seen the airborne demonstration, General Pavel took the opportunity to meet with some of the troops and exchanged views with them on their participation in the exercise.
Trident Juncture 15 involves 36,000 personnel from more than 30 Allied and Partner Nations, takes place throughout Italy, Portugal, Spain, the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and also Canada, Norway, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Trident Juncture 2015 demonstrates NATO’s new increased level of ambition in joint modern warfare and show-cased a capable, forward-leading Alliance equipped with the appropriate capability and capacity to meet present and future security challenges.