HUNDREDS of soldiers from the British Army’s largest base - at Catterick Garrison - are to take part in the biggest NATO exercise on mainland Europe since 2002.

Nearly 36,000 service personnel from more than 30 Allied and partner nations will take part in Exercise Trident Juncture 15 which runs from the middle of October through to the beginning of November.

Headquarters 4 Infantry Brigade, one of the Army’s new adaptable forces, is based at Peronne Lines in the Garrison and flew out today, October 15, to Chinchilla in south- east Spain where it will command a multi-national brigade.

Under the leadership of Brigadier Gez Strickland the brigade will be made up with forces from Italy, Poland, Denmark, Spain and Norway .

“I am delighted that HQ 4th Infantry Brigade will be commanding a highly capable multi-national brigade in a combined arms setting,” he said.

“The exercise will demonstrate not only the utility of the UK’s Adaptive Force but also will showcase that Nato is ready to respond to threats across the full spectrum of the evolving security environment.”

The 4 Infantry Brigade and 1 Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment are the principle British Army contribution to the exercise but they will be joined by more Catterick-based troops from the Light Dragoons and 1 Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers .

The operation is NATO’s capstone exercise for 2015 and has been designed as a high visibility exercise demonstrating the Alliance’s ability to train, deploy and exercise in a complex, joint and distributed environment.

In all, four multi-national brigades will be operating in Spain, Portugal and Sardinia and will include linked maritime and air exercises throughout to highlight that Nato is an integrated, committed and effective force.