[ad_1]
NATO allies and a handful of partner countries are preparing for the largest joint military exercises of the alliance for decades.
Before the end of Trident Juncture exercises, which should include 45,000 soldiers, 10,000 vehicles, 60 ships and 150 aircraft from 31 countries that train side by side in and around Norway this fall, the alliance Focuses on the strength and transparency observers so that they can get the message up close.
The admiral of the US Navy commanding the exercise hopes that Russia will accept them.
"I'm really expecting them to come in. It's in their interest to come and see what we're doing," said Admiral James Foggo at the Pentagon press Friday. . "They will learn things, I want them to be there, can see how well [NATO allies and partners] work together."
"A strong deterrent message will be sent," he said. "They will see that we are very good at what we are doing, and that will have a deterrent effect on any country that might want to cross these borders, but particularly for a particular country."
Until now, Russia has not yet accepted the offer.
Exercises under Article 5 (collective defense) will include training in land, air and amphibious means to repel an adversary threatening the sovereignty of a NATO ally or partner country. The Admiral refused to say whether the exercise would include a nuclear element or not, in the same way as a previous Russian exercise.
Foggo said they were NATO's most important exercises since the Cold War, but that they are in fact the largest since 2002. The Allied exercises follow the huge war games in the world. is Russia and involves dozens or even hundreds of thousands of Russian and Chinese soldiers preparing for large-scale military operations against an unspecified third country.
According to the documents delivered at Friday's meeting, Trident Juncture aims to "ensure that NATO forces are trained, able to operate together and ready to face any threat, whatever whatever their direction ".
