Sgt. Austin Long/USMC
U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Nicholas Chieu, a crew chief aboard a CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopter with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, embarked aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24), sits on the helicopters ramp while flying to participate in a combined helicopter-borne assault training exercise with the Portuguese Marines, near Pinheiro Da Cruz, Praia Da Raposa, Portugal, Oct. 21, 2015 during Trident Juncture 15. Trident Juncture is a NATO-led exercise designed to certify NATO response forces and develop interoperability among participating NATO and partner nations. Arlington, part of the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group, is conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe.
The exercise, called Trident Juncture 2015, includes approximately 36,000 troops, over 140 aircraft, and 60 ships from more than 30 participatory nations. The exercise's participants include both NATO countries and nations that are close with the various NATO states without officially being part of the alliance, such as Australia, Austria, Finland, and Ukraine.
Trident Juncture is taking place entirely in the western Mediterranean, with the majority of the exercise occurring in Spain and Portugal, as well as in Italy. The operation will last until November 6.
We have collected some of the most amazing images of the exercise so far below.