Meet NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force

Published: Oct. 5, 2018, 10 p.m.

In the event of a crisis, NATO turns to its Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), a rapidly deployable, multinational force capable of quickly bringing air, land, maritime and Special Operations forces to bear. The VJTF will play a critical role in Trident Juncture 2018, a large NATO exercise involving some 40,000 troops from more than 30 nations. This video features the German Army’s 9th Armoured Brigade, which will lead the VJTF in 2019, and Norway’s Telemark Battalion, which will also participate in the VJTF starting next year. The United Kingdom currently leads the VJTF, which is staffed by Allies on a rotational basis. Shots: German armour crossing a river via ferry; Norwegian troops engaging in close-quarters urban combat. Soundbites from Brigadier General Ulrich Spannuth, who will lead the VJTF’s land component in 2019, and Norwegian Capt. Brage Reinaas.