NATO’s Joint Warfare Centre praised for its support to the Connected Forces Initiative

As NATO moves from a combat operation to a training mission in Afghanistan, beginning in 2015, the Connected Forces Initiative (CFI) will help maintain NATO’s readiness and combat effectiveness through expanded education and training, increased exercises and better use of technology. 

NATO’s Joint Warfare Centre (JWC) is responsible for planning, developing and delivering operationally focused multilevel training and exercises, in order to enhance the interoperability of NATO’s forces and ensure CFI success.

During the visit, the Military Committee had the opportunity to see how JWC connects all forces – land, air, maritime and special operations forces – from different NATO nations through high-quality, integrated training events, from the strategic to the tactical level.   Building on the Alliance’s military experience in Afghanistan and NATO’s enduring ability to adapt, JWC supports ongoing operations, training activities and exercises to ensure that Allies can effectively communicate and operate together.  The Centre also validates and certifies this important training.

Military Representatives from NATO Headquarters were briefed on ongoing and future NATO exercises, including the upcoming Steadfast Jazz 2013, which will train and test thousands of personnel of the NATO Response Force (NRF).  Praising the Centre for its ongoing training efforts, Lieutenant General Jürgen Bornemann, Director General of NATO’s International Military Staff, emphasised JWC’s added value to NATO, providing the Alliance with highly realistic, joint and combined operational training.

Moving to the Norwegian Joint Headquarters in Bodø, the Military Committee gained valuable insights on the capabilities of this command and future Norwegian training activities.  They also visited Bodø air station, the largest air station in Norway, and experienced a quick reaction alert exercise. 

Wrapping up the visit, Major General Geder, Dean of NATO’s Military Committee, thanked Norway for its outstanding hospitality and for providing a unique opportunity to better understand the High North and its challenges.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of NATO’s Joint Warfare Centre, during which it has trained more than 35,000 personnel for full spectrum joint operational warfare, both for ISAF and NRF operations.