Norwegian offshore vessel owner Simon Mokster has informed that its offshore supply vessel Stril Mar has taken part in the NATO “Trident Juncture” exercise.
According to Naval Today , the flagship NATO exercise Trident Juncture 2018 is expected to be one of the largest ever with 40,000 personnel, around 120 aircraft and as many as 70 ships converging in Norway.
The Stril Mar offshore vessel has been taken out of her normal operation to participate in the NATO exercise “Trident Juncture”.
In addition to the civilian crew, the vessel has a military crew from MARCSS (Maritime Combat Service Support), which will use the vessel as a platform for easy maintenance and fuel supply and logistics support.
This civil-military concept is called STUFT (ship taken out of trade). The concept implies that one takes a civilian ship out of normal operation, so that it can be used to support military departments at sea.
“To be able to test this capacity during Trident Juncture will enable the Armed Forces to support vessels that are in operation in a better way. Immediately, we will test the preparedness and civil society’s ability and willingness to support the Armed Forces in the framework of the total defense”, says MARCSS, Kommandør Kaptein Frode Staurset.
Compared to the 2015 edition of the exercise which was said to be “the largest NATO exercise in a decade”, Trident Juncture 2018 is hosting an additional 4,000 personnel and an added 10 ships. All 29 NATO members and partner nations are taking part.
Also according to Naval Today , Norwegian Chief of Defence Admiral Haakon Bruun-Hanssen previously said that the exercise would test the country’s ability to receive and handle additional troops and equipment, and it would also be an opportunity for its military to test Norway’s Total Defence Concept, which involves military forces and a wide range of civilian departments and authorities.