Below zero experiences in ‘Trident Juncture’

Improvement of training in extreme cold conditions and of the procedures for integration into a multinational unit have been two of the most remarkable aspects in the participation of the Spanish Tactical Mechanised Group assigned to the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) in the ‘Trident Juncture’ exercise conducted in Norway from 30th October to 7th November.

The Group, formed on the basis of the Battalion ‘Lepanto’ II/2 of the 10th Brigade ‘Guzmán el Bueno’, participated with its personnel and vehicles (mainly Leopard tanks and Pizarro combat vehicles) in a double-action exercise under the assumption of the defense of a NATO ally who suffers the invasion of an enemy country in its territory.

The Spaniards had to conduct a delay operation during which they fought directly against a mechanised marine battalion from the U. S. Army. Immediately after, another offensive started in order to recover the land ceded in the towns of Oppdal and Folldal, and to occupy an action zone in Berkak, in which a Norwegian Royal Guard battalion acted as opposing force, organised as a light infantry battalion with a profusion of antitank weapons.

As well as guaranteeing the maintenance of capabilities of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force which is under activation in 2018, has served to certify the package assigned to this Force for 2019, which includes an Anti-aircraft Defense Unit formed by personnel and means from the I/74 Anti-aircraft Artillery Group and the Transmissions Unit of the Anti-aircraft Artilley Command.

Prior to the start of ‘Trident Juncture’, several activities were carried out regarding cold acclimatisation, units cohesion and a NBQ decontamination practical exercse together with the French, with the aim of getting to know the other armies and exchanging multiple experiences with them, namely, cold-weather combat, and command and control procedures.

A Slovenian company with a Montenegran rifles section also integrated into the Spanish GTMZ, which was simultaneously integrated into the Italian Brigade ‘Ariete’. These integrations proved the interoperability of the VTJF-assigned units.

These activitites belonged to the ‘Brilliant Jump’ exercise (from 17th to 29th October), which is intended to measure the speed of response before a VJTF 18 activation, and to conduct real deployment of the assigned forces.

The necessary logistics activities to take part in these two exercises, such as vehicle preparation to operate in cold weather, stock of clothing and individual equipment for these temperatures, preparation of means for its transport by sea, writing of cargo documents…, finished on 9th October with the departure of the ship equipped with the vehicles and equipment from the port of Motril in direction of the Andalsnes port in Norway. The personnel travelled there by plane, and afterwards, they met in the towns of Hjerkinn y Dallholen, in the centre of Norway.

Once the participation finished, the retreat of personnel and means started, beginning the way to be back in Spain by 11th November.