22 Jan. 2004

Top commanders rehearse deployment of Response Force News 22/01/2004 - ACT Allied Reach 2004 Kicks off with Press Conference Background NATO Response Force Multimedia Video files of the teleconference Audio file of the teleconference (MP3/11585Kb) Links Allied Command Transformation website From 22 to 25 January, NATO’s top military commanders and senior officials took part in Allied Reach 04, a special seminar designed to test the concepts behind NATO’s new Response Force. Held at the Joint Training Analysis and Simulation Centre in Suffolk, United States, the seminar focused on a mock crisis scenario set in 2007, which required the rapid deployment of the NATO Response Force (NRF) to a fictitious country. By going through the motions of deploying the NRF, the participants were confronted with issues and challenges that would need to be tackled in a real-life scenario. The exercise also helped to illustrate the different potential uses of the force. “Allied Reach '04 will help focus future NRF commanders on the deployability as well as the operational and capability challenges that the NRF will face,” said Admiral Sir Ian Garnett, Chief of Staff at NATO’s Operations Command, in the opening press conference, “Participants will also gain a further appreciation of the new asymmetric security threats and the scope of NATO's transformation efforts.” At the heart of NATO’s transformation Once fully operational in 2006, the NRF will provide NATO with a robust, high-readiness force. It will be able to deploy anywhere in the world in five days to tackle the full range of military missions. Putting in place the Response Force requires implementing far-reaching changes at NATO, going further than just purchasing new equipment and capabilities, and addressing issues such as the decision-making process and military doctrine. Staff from all of NATO’s major operational headquarters took part in the seminar, as well as the Alliance’s top military officials, including General Kujat, the Chairman of the Military Committee of NATO, Admiral Giambastiani, the Supreme Allied Commander, Transformation, and General Jones, Supreme Allied Commander, Operations.