NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, together with other senior Allied officials, observed a number of Exercise Trident Juncture 2015 training sessions of NATO’s maritime forces in Portugal on Thursday, November 5.

The Secretary General, together with Portuguese President Dr. Anibal Cavaco Silva and Portuguese Defence Minister Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco as well as Ambassadors from the North Atlantic Council and Allied military commanders watched a display of special manouvres on the Troia peninsula. Allied forces practiced harbour protection operations, an amphibious beach assault and a vessel boarding operation to simulate a security check for contraband weapons.

The Secretary General and other senior Allied officials will visit the Portuguese navy ship NRP Vasco da Gama and the British helicopter carrier, HMS Ocean while on the Portuguese coast.

Portugal currently leads one of NATO’s standing maritime groups with the NRP D. Francisco de Almeida as flagship.

The live military training element of exercise Trident Juncture, which opened on 19 October, wraps up on 6 November. The exercise includes more than 230 units, more than 140 aircraft and more than 60 ships.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg accompanied by the President of Portugal, Anibal Cavaco Silva and General Artur Neves Pina Monteiro, Chief of Defence of Portugal.

Images: NATO, Portuguese Navy