Alliance kicks off live military exercise Trident Juncture in Italy

NATO Allies and partner nations launched the Alliance’s Trident Juncture live military exercise on 19 October 2015 during an opening ceremony at the Trapani air force base in Italy, launching three weeks of intensive training involving 36,000 troops from more than 30 nations across Italy, Spain and Portugal.

Media reported that the exercise was the biggest in over a decade, and was seen as a reaction to the threats from Russia's growing military assertiveness in Europe and the Middle East.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: NATO Ministerial Meeting: Meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence, Brussels, Belgium, 8 October 2015 http://www.europeansources.info/record/nato-ministerial-meeting-meeting-of-nato-ministers-of-defence-brussels-belgium-8-october-2015/

Euronews, 19.10.15: NATO: biggest military exercise in 13 years http://www.euronews.com/2015/10/19/nato-biggest-military-exercise-in-13-years/

Deutsche Welle, 19.10.15: NATO shows off military might with largest operation in years http://dw.com/p/1GqTy

Times of Malta, 19.10.15: Nato's show of force in the Central Mediterranean http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20151019/world/natos-show-of-force-in-the-central-mediterranean.588865

Today's Zaman, 18.10.15: NATO seeks to adapt to multiple threats with biggest military exercise in a decade http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_nato-seeks-to-adapt-to-multiple-threats-with-biggest-military-exercise-in-a-decade_401847.html

Sputnik International, 18.10.15: NATO Front Crumbles, Slovakia Welcomes Russia’s Involvement in Syria http://sptnkne.ws/Vng

The Independent, 19.10.15: US forced to borrow equipment for five-week Nato exercise in central Mediterranean http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/us-forced-to-borrow-equipment-for-five-week-nato-exercise-in-central-mediterranean-a6700486.html

EurActiv, 20.10.15: NATO sends signal to Russia with biggest exercise in years http://www.euractiv.com/sections/global-europe/nato-sends-signal-russia-biggest-exercise-years-318657

NATO: Trident Juncture 2015 http://www.jfcbs.nato.int/trident-juncture.aspx

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