NATO Military Committee visits Joint Support and Enabling Command in Germany
On 25-26 October 2023, the NATO Military Committee visited NATO’s Joint Support and Enabling Command (JSEC) in Ulm, Germany. The visit represented an important occasion to discuss major work strands and challenges moving forward, as JSEC takes a key role for strategic enablement within the Alliance and transitions into full NATO Command Structure Headquarters by 2025.
The NATO senior military officials were received by the JSEC Commander, Lieutenant General Alexander Sollfrank. "We are honoured to welcome the NATO Military Committee to JSEC”, he stated, welcoming the opportunity “to showcase our commitment to NATO's missions and the tireless efforts of our dedicated personnel. We look forward to discussing our mission, structure, and addressing the challenges we face."
Throughout the day, the NATO Military Committee received a number of briefings. Beyond an overview of JSEC’s capabilities and future strategic priorities, discussions centred on the complexities involved in maintaining a robust and agile Alliance going forward.
The Command plays a central role in supporting NATO’s operational readiness by accelerating, coordinating, and safeguarding the movement of Allied forces across Europe whenever and wherever required. Among many other contributions to the Alliance, JSEC’s Reinforcement and Sustainment Network (RSN) is a critical element of the Alliance’s rapid response capabilities.
“The war against Ukraine has once again demonstrated the importance of logistics, sustainment and reinforcement. JSEC plays a crucial role for the executability of the Deterrence and Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area (DDA) Family of Plans”, said Admiral Bauer. “Only with effective Enablement, will be able to ensure reinforcement by forces in the quantities needed and at the speed required”, he added, elaborating on Enablement as a decisive factor for deterrence and defence.
The Chair further reflected on the Command’s leadership and coordination work as essential at such a critical time for the Alliance. “The nature of the challenges we are facing demands a collaborative, coherent and robust approach. For effective enablement, NATO relies on its Allies to contribute deployment and sustainment plans, forces and transportation infrastructures. Nations’ support is of utmost importance here – JSEC cannot do this alone”, highlighted Admiral Bauer.