国际英语新闻:NATO kicks-off largest military exercise since 2002 in Italy

BRUSSELS, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- NATO kicked off the Alliance's largest exercise for over a decade named Exercise Trident Juncture 2015 on Monday at the Trapani air force base in Italy.

It is the largest exercise conducted by NATO since 2002, involving 36,000 personnel from more than 30 NATO Allied and partner nations.

NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow said: "Trident Juncture will increase our readiness and our ability to work together, including with our partners. It will demonstrate that NATO is capable of responding to threats from any direction."

"We seek confrontation with no one. That is why we have invited observers from around the world, from as far away as Colombia and Russia," he added.

The exercise will demonstrate NATO's new increased level of ambition in joint modern warfare and will showcase a capable, forward-leading Alliance equipped with the appropriate capability and capacity to meet present and future security challenges, according to NATO.

Vershbow was joined by Italian Undersecretary of State for Defense Gioacchino Alfano and ambassadors from the North Atlantic Council at the ceremony which included a fly-by of Allied fighters, heavy lift and surveillance aircraft as well as helicopters.

The military exercise will continue until Nov. 6.