Three Allies establish Special Forces Command
In the margins of the NATO Defence Ministers meeting on Thursday (7 June 2018), the Defence Ministers of Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the creation of a Composite Special Operations Component Command (C-SOCC). Once operational, this tri-national Special Forces Command will participate in the NATO Response Force and could support NATO operations, as well as other multinational missions.
The three Ministers launched the preparatory work for forming the C-SOCC by signing a Letter of Intent in February 2017. The C-SOCC is scheduled to reach initial operational capability in 2019, and will be fully operational in 2021.
NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller praised this initiative as “extremely timely,” explaining that “NATO recognised the need for this expertise when establishing our Special Operations Headquarters in Mons, Belgium.” She added that “this tri-national initiative serves as an important reminder that Special Operations Forces today increasingly operate in a multinational context.”
NATO’s Special Operations Headquarters in Mons is providing advice and support for the development of C-SOCC, ensuring that it is developed in line with NATO doctrine and standards.