NATO is holding its largest military exercise in 13 years.

NATO is deploying troops from more than 30 countries to test their ability to respond to new threats.

According to AP, NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow said at the opening ceremony on October 19 that the Trident Juncture exercise would demonstrate NATO "can cope with everything from conventional warfare to more sophisticated hybrid warfare techniques."

NATO aircraft during a military exercise. Photo: Reuters

The city of Trapani in Sicily, Italy, will be the operational center for the exercise. The event will begin tomorrow and last until early November, expanding to Spain, Portugal, and the surrounding seas, with the participation of 36,000 soldiers, sailors, and pilots.

The exercise simulated a hypothetical invasion by a small coalition member state, triggering a religious and ethnic crisis, threatening energy supplies and freedom of navigation with the risk of terrorism and cyberattacks.

At a press conference, Vershbow dismissed claims that the hypothetical aggressor was Russia. "Some of the challenges we've put in place and tested our forces are not similar to the challenges we would face if we were in conflict with Russia," he said.

According to VNE