North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Joint Force Command Naples
May 5, 2015
JFC Naples Commander announces exercise, increased NATO capability in Romania
BUCHAREST, Romania: Allied Joint Force Command Naples Commander, U.S. Navy Admiral Mark Ferguson III and the Romanian Minister of Defence Mircea Duşa, jointly announced plans for the first time deployment of a Joint Force Command headquarters to Romania as part of a NATO Response Force exercise.
The commander and minister also publicized the progress of the NATO Force Integration Unit and Multinational Division Southeast, both being established in Bucharest. Staffs from both JFC Naples and the Romanian Armed Forces worked together to submit implementation plans for both projects recently.
“I am honored to be here with the Minister of Defense to discuss the deployment of my headquarters next month to Cincu,” said Admiral Ferguson. “This deployment will test the full operational capability of my staff, by shifting command and control between my headquarters in Naples and the forward deployed elements in Cincu.”
The JFC Naples commander met with Romanian Ministry of Defence officials to discuss plans and operations for the Readiness Action Plan in Eastern Europe. The goal of the meetings was to integrate robust NATO capabilities into Romania that will improve collective defence and expand NATO options in defending member nations.
The exercise, TRIDENT JOUST 2015, will test the capability of the NRF command and control element to work at full operational capacity in a deployed location. Twenty two nations and more than 1,000 personnel will participate in TRIDENT JOUST 15, which will reinforce the NATO Readiness Action Plan from the Wales Summit and project assurance measures to all NATO allies.
The NFIU and MND-SE will fulfill the requirements for a more agile and responsive NATO as set forth during the Wales Summit in 2014. The NFIU in Romania is one of six with Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland also primed to establish units that will assist NATO in supporting exercises and facilitating rapid reinforcements.
“I appreciate the efforts of Romania as we work on other measures to transform the Alliance, such as the formation of the Multinational Division Southeast and the NATO Force Integration Unit” said Admiral Ferguson. “My visit comes at a very important time for NATO and I look forward to continuing our efforts to improve the capabilities of the Alliance.”
The mission of JFC Naples is to prepare for, plan and conduct military operations in order to preserve the peace, security and territorial integrity of Alliance member states. JFC Naples is currently serving as the NATO Response Force command and control headquarters for 2015.
Story by Allied Joint Force Command Naples Public Affairs
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