Exercise Trident Jaguar 2014 Kicks Off aboard USS Mount Whitney

Trident Jaguar, a NATO-sponsored exercise, is part of a family of NATO training exercises developed to fit specific purposes and evaluation needs, and is a collective training event to certify Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) to serve as a joint headquarters (maritime/expeditionary) aboard Mount Whitney.

“Trident Jaguar is an excellent opportunity to train and certify our headquarters in commanding and controlling maritime expeditionary operations,” said Vice Admiral Phil Davidson, Commander, STRIKFORNATO. “This is a very complex training scenario, and our objective is to validate STRIKFORNATO as a joint headquarters in planning and conducting a NATO collective defence operation. We have been preparing for this exercise for over one year, and I look forward to seeing the entire team come together in this final stage.”

Trident Jaguar focuses on building STRIKFORNATO’s ability to respond to crisis on short notice. The exercise will also demonstrate interoperability between NATO allies as part of NATO’s broader connected forces initiative. The exercise runs from 6-16 May 2014 and involves both NATO Rapid Deployable Corps Spain (NRDC ESP) and STRIKFORNATO.

STRIKFORNATO, headquartered in Oeiras, Portugal, is the high-readiness, maritime-enabled joint headquarters directly responsible to SACEUR for the command, control and rapid integration of major maritime and amphibious combat power for NATO.

Mount Whitney, STRIKFORNATO’s primary command and control platform, forward deployed to Gaeta, Italy, operates with a combined crew of U.S. Navy Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners. The civil service mariners perform navigation, deck, engineering and supply service operations, while military personnel support communications, weapons systems and security. It is one of only two seaborne Joint Command Platforms in the US Navy, both of which are forward deployed.

[mappress] Press Release, May 8, 2014; Image: NATO