NATO Military Committee visits Transatlantic Commands

After being welcomed to the Allied Command Transformation by its Commander General André Lanata, the NATO Military Committee started their two-day visit with a series of workshops on different strands of Warfare Development aimed at improving their situational awareness and enhancing their understanding of tactical challenges. General Lanata also provided an insight to the command’s current tasks, the issues and challenges that affect the future of the Alliance and, how critical it is to maintain NATO’s military edge.

“Along with its unique contribution to development of the Alliance’s Military Instrument of Power, Allied Command Transformation is the only NATO command that intervenes at all stages of the capability development cycle. It means, from prospective analysis to capacity building, including doctrine and concepts development, innovation, training, and lessons learned”, said General Lanata.

Discussions touched upon Cyber, Resilience, Counter Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Experimentation with an emphasis on how Allied Command Transformation prioritises Allied interoperability and bolsters cooperation with its partners to deliver operational effectiveness. The Military Committee also gained an understanding of how the Warfare Development agenda develops in line with Alliance member states’ requirements and expectations. NATO’s member states are the ultimate beneficiaries of Command work and thus will enable forces that are robust, flexible and ready to fight and win.

Taking the floor, Chief Air Marshal Sir Stuart Peach thanked ACT for hosting this visit and for its singular role in engendering a culture of continuous improvement across the Alliance. “Over the last two-days, the NATO Military Representatives have received a series of briefings and participate in topical discussions that have helped improve their situational awareness, enhancing their understanding of tactical challenges and providing a thorough update on ongoing adaptation”, highlighted the Chairman.

The NATO Military Committee then headed to the new NATO Joint Forces Command (JFC) in Norfolk, one of the latest addition to the NATO Command Structure, to receive a comprehensive briefing on their activities. JFC Norfolk is responsible for preserving the transatlantic maritime lines of communication and, as required, the troop reinforcement between Europe and North America.

The 29 Allied Military Representative and the Chairman, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach concluded their visit with a briefing onboard the USS Harry S Truman, currently assigned to the US Second Fleet which was re-established last year. “Re-establishing the 2nd Fleet is an example of how we need to continuously adapt and how we are all responding to the changed security environment which we have felt ripple across the Alliance”, underscored Air Chief Marshal Peach.

The NATO Military Committee will then continue its journey to Washington, DC for the second leg of this trip.