50,000 Troops Prep for NATO's Biggest Force Show Since Cold War

Marines are landing in Iceland, a Navy aircraft carrier and the US Arctic Circle and U.S. aircraft are soaring over Scandinavia – and none of it has gone unnoticed by Russian military leaders.

Nearly 50,000 US and NATO forces are gearing up for the largest iteration of Trident Juring since 1991. Set to start on Thursday, it will be flying in the air, on the ground and on sea in a month-long exercise that will test NATO forces ability to respond to a large-scale event from multiple locations.

Troops from all 29 NATO Allies – plus Finland and Sweden – are participating. So are about 65 ships, 150 aircraft and 10,000 vehicles.

The exercise will take place near Russia's border. But Lt. Gen. Valery Zaparenko, deputy chief of general staff there, said he believes Trident Juncture is meant to send a message to his country, which has expanded its capabilities in the Arctic region.

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"Zaparenko said, according to RT, a Russian-government-funded TV station. "Even if NATO says otherwise, Trident Juncture is really preparing for a large-scale armed conflict in regions bordering with the Russian Federation."

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis disagreed, saying earlier this month at NATO headquarters that "it would be a mischaracterization to put [Trident Juncture] in any kind of offensive or destabilizing sort of context. "

About 14,000 U.S. troops are participating in the exercise, which is set to be one of NATO's largest since the end of the Cold War. Some of those troops have been participating in rehearsal exercises in the days leading up to Trident Juncture.

On Friday, ships from the Carrier Strike Group Eight – including the carrier Harry S. Truman – pushed beyond the Arctic Circle in the Norwegian Sea. It was the first time in a few months that U.S. Navy aircraft carrier sailed beyond the Arctic Circle, giving the crew a chance to deal with freezing temperatures, fierce winds and unpredictable winds.

Despite the arduous weather and sea conditions, these men and women are demonstrating this ship to full spectrum capabilities around the world, "Capt. Nick Dienna, the Truman's commanding officer, said in a Navy news release.

Two days before the expedition moved to the Arctic Circle, members of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. About 100 members of Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines were flown in with the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group. They set up security for the landing zone, seized a military objective and then went on to conduct cold-weather training there.

The exercise is meant to help prepare the Marines for a large-scale amphibious badault in Norway during Trident Juncture. Norwegian Sea, combat-training operations in Norway, and flights there, in Sweden and in Finland in support of NATO ground forces.

Marines from Combat Logistics Battalion will also be using ashore, using unmanned helicopters, handheld drones and self-driving trucks, among other systems.

– Gina Harkins can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @ginaaharkins.

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