North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
September 23, 2014
DSACEUR discusses ‘Spearhead’ Force during Official Visit to Estonia
Tallinn, ESTONIA: Continued assurance measures and NATO’s Readiness Action Plan were a focus of discussions between Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR) General Sir Adrian Bradshaw and senior Estonian political and military officials during meetings in Tallinn, Estonia on 22 and 23 September. The Readiness Action Plan was recently agreed to by Allies at the NATO Summit in Wales, and follow-on work and consultations are continuing across Europe.
During his official visit, General Bradshaw met with the Estonian Minister of Defence, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Defence Committee, and the Military Chief of Defence. One of the main topics of discussion was the generation of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), or ‘Spearhead Force’. NATO is refining its response forces in order to enhance its capabilities to respond to the ambiguous warfare tactics such as those employed by Russia in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. The Spearhead Force will be provided by allies in rotation, and will include several thousand troops, ready to respond where needed with air, sea and special forces support.
“The ability of a Spearhead force to move quickly demands that NATO pre-position command and control and logistics experts at a number of sites on the territories of our Eastern European Allies,” said General Bradshaw. “These measures, along with possible upgrades to national infrastructure such as airfields and ports, will enhance our ability to respond to any threat in very short order,” he added.
On 18 September, Alexander Vershbow, NATO’s Deputy Secretary General, said that he expected the Spearhead Force to reach an initial operating capability by the Fall of 2015 and that military planners were now “working seven days a week” to finalize details of the force.
During the visit DSACEUR laid a wreath at the Estonian National Military Memorial and met a number of key officials and military officers.
“Estonia has played a central role in NATO’s assurance measures in response to the Ukraine crisis,” said General Bradshaw. The contribution of ships to our standing maritime forces, the hosting of exercises like STEADFAST JAVELIN I, and the use of Amari Air Base for enhanced air policing have all been essential in underscoring NATO’s rock solid resolve regarding our collective defence,” he added.
Story by SHAPE Public Affairs Office
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