An additional 5,000 soldiers to NATO’s Exercise in Norway

CH-47 ChinhookNorway.A Boeing CH-47 Chinhook transport helicopter.Photo: Torbjørn Kjosvold / Forsvarets medisenter / NTB scanpix

When NATO in the autumn arranges Trident Juncture, the largest exercise in Norway since the Cold War, approximately 40,000 troops from 30 nations will arrive.

 

Thus, NATO has raised the number of soldiers from what was announced earlier, 35,000, confirms Brynjar Stordal of the Armed Forces operational headquarters to NTB.

“It is NATO that organizes the exercise, while the Armed Forces has the role of facilitator. As we approach the exercise, we get increasingly precise figures for the number of soldiers, combat aircraft and vessels,” says Stordal, who emphasizes that the figures are still preliminary.

About 130 combat aircraft and 60 vessels are expected to participate in the exercise, which will take place between 25 October and 7 November. Well over 100 municipalities will notice the exercise to a different extent. Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Oppland and Hedmark are the counties that are to be most affected.

Preparations for the exercise, with visible military traffic on main roads several places in the country, begin already in mid-August.

“As the exercise approaches, we can be more specific about what kind of exercise activities will take place in the different municipalities, so that the people can as much as possible know how they will be affected,” says Stordal.

Trident Juncture is one of NATO’s largest exercises and is conducted every three years. Of the 40,000 soldiers expected to participate in this year’s exercise, about 5,000 will be Norwegian.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today