WASHINGTON —
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and commander of U.S. European Command, made a statement about deterrence just by their presence aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the North Sea during an Oct. 12 news conference.
The carrier is participating in Exercise Trident Juncture 18, the largest NATO exercise since the 1980s. The exercise will be held Oct. 25-Nov. 7.
“From these decks, the USS Truman projects power to keep us all safe,” Stoltenberg said on the hangar deck of the massive ship. “It delivers deterrence every day. It helps keep our sea lines of communication open and it has been critical in the fight against terrorism, against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.”
Trident Juncture showcases the defensive might of the 29-nation alliance. More than 45,000 service members, 60 ships and thousands of vehicles will participate in the exercise in and around Norway.
Testing NATO's Collective Response Capability
Trident Juncture will test NATO's collective response to an armed attack against one ally. “To keep our nations safe in an unpredictable world, we need to keep our alliance strong,” Stoltenberg said. “We do need to have the training and we need to train together in all domains; at sea, in air, on land and in…
