North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Command Transformation
March 19, 2015
Deputy Commander visits Italy’s Joint Operational Command in preparation for large NATO Exercise
General Mirco Zuliani recently visited the Italian Joint Operational Command, responsible for organising Italy’s part of the Trident Juncture (TRJE) 2015 exercise.
TRJE15 is NATO’s first live exercise in a decade, since before the NATO operation in Afghanistan started, and will also take place in Portugal and Spain. Most of the ‘Air Scenario’ will be exercised in Italy.
During the exercise, the Italian JFACC (Joint Force Air Component command) will be certified as Air Component Command, in light of the ‘NATO Response Force’ (NRF) rotation for 2016. The NRF is a highly ready and technologically advanced multinational force made up of land, air, maritime and Special Operations Forces components that the Alliance can deploy quickly, wherever needed. In addition to its operational role, the NRF is used to increase cooperation in education and training, better use of technology or, like in this case, increased exercises.
The JFACC will during TRJE15 operate as a ‘reach-back’ capability from their base in Poggio Renatico (Ferrara), whereas air assets will be deployed to Trapani (Sicily). The reach-back concept enables a number of planning functions to be executed more effectively and efficiently at headquarters level instead of single unit level, limiting the number of headquarters personnel deployed, with the aim to significantly reduce manpower, transportation and support costs.
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Three types of Exercises, all increase Interoperability
Exercises are NATO’s main tool to achieve interoperability and Allied Command Transformation (ACT) is in charge of almost two hundred of them, large and small, national and multinational, joint, air-land-sea and more.
Exercises are executed in three forms: a Live Exercise (LIVEX), Command Post Exercise (CPX), or an Exercise Study. A Live Exercise is an exercise in which actual forces participate. A Command Post Exercise is a headquarters exercise involving Commanders and their staffs, and communications within and between participating headquarters, in which NATO and friendly forces, as well as opposing forces are simulated. An Exercise Study is an activity which may take the form of a map exercise, a war game, a series of lectures, a discussion group, or an operational analysis.
For TRJE15, Allied Command Transformation (ACT) has status as the Officer Scheduling the Exercise (OSE), while Joint Force Command Brunssum is the Officer Conducting the Exercise (OCE).
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