NATO’s Trident Juncture 2018 exercise: political theatre with a purpose

Jack Watling, RUSI (United Kingdom)
NATO has concluded its largest live exercise since the Cold War, after 50,000 troops from 31 countries participated in Trident Juncture 2018, held from 25 October – 7 November in Norway. With its simulation of an invasion triggering an Article Five mutual security guarantee commitment from Alliance member states, Trident Juncture 2018 underscored growing tensions with Moscow. But the politics of the exercise was primarily aimed at bolstering the internal confidence of the Alliance, rather than deterring aggressors.