The North Atlantic Treaty Organization says it won't change long-made plans for a huge military exercise. They're taking place despite Russia announcing it'll carry out missile tests in the area at the same time. CGTN's Guy Henderson reports from near the exercises.

The latest addition to a growing NATO arsenal in the North Atlantic. American-made F-35 fighter jets: leading the air support. Followed by heavy artillery and then an amphibious assault by Dutch and Finnish Marines. The scenario is an attack on Norway by an unnamed enemy. Prompting its allies to come to its defense.

GUY HENDERSON BYNESET, NORWAY "This is the start of the field phase of the largest NATO exercise in decades. 50,000 soldiers have been deployed to the region. And as these drills go on, Russia has announced its own plans: for missile tests in the same area, over the same time period." 

That will make precision even more vital in the coming weeks. Norway's neighbor views these maneuvers as aggressive. But NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says this is not a message for Moscow.

JENS STOLTENBERG NATO SECRETARY GENERAL "We need to work for a better relationship with Russia. And even without a better relationship with Russia, we need to manage a difficult relationship with Russia, meaning that we need more military presence, more exercises, higher tensions, we need to make sure that we prevent the incidents, accidents, misunderstandings, miscalculations and if they happen, make sure that they don't spiral out of control."

The alliance is bolstering its northern forces though: part of what it views as a necessary response to an increasing Russian presence. NATO's new Rapid Reaction Force is here too: led by a German battalion.

LT. GEN. JOERG VOLLMER GERMAN ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF "The main purpose of this force is to really spark this element of deterrence so that we are willing and capable to move troops. It's a deterrence."

A deterrence whose overall credibility has been questioned of late. Commanders here, clearly, want to end that doubt. GH, CGTN, Byneset, Norway.