STAVANGER, Norway – STEADFAST DUEL 2024, NATO’s largest computer-assisted command post exercise (CAX/CPX) of the year, concluded on October 31 at the Joint Warfare Centre (JWC) and 11 other locations across Europe.
Scheduled by Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) and directed by the JWC, NATO’s capstone CAX/CPX of the year focused on the Article 5 defence of NATO territory and the delivery of multi-domain operations at the strategic, operational and higher tactical levels.
Lieutenant General Hubert Cottereau, French Army, Vice Chief of Staff SHAPE, served as the SHAPE Response Cell Chief during the exercise.
The exercise aimed to test NATO’s ability to respond rapidly and effectively to a range of threats, from traditional warfare to cyberattacks and hybrid threats.
“Exercise STEADFAST DUEL 2024 further strengthened NATO’s multi-domain capabilities, encompassing the full range of military operations, including the cyberspace and space domains,” said Major General Ruprecht von Butler, Commander JWC and Exercise Director.
“By preparing exercise participants for multi-domain operations at the strategic and operational levels, the JWC is instrumental to NATO’s ability to fight and win, while exercising key elements of NATO’s deterrence strategy.”
Exercise STEADFAST DUEL 2024 further strengthened NATO’s multi-domain capabilities, encompassing the full range of military operations, including the cyberspace and space domains. By preparing exercise participants for multi-domain operations at the
strategic and operational levels, the JWC is instrumental to NATO’s ability to fight and win, while exercising key elements of NATO’s deterrence strategy.– Major General Ruprecht von Butler, Commander JWC
A Test of Alliance Readiness
Approximately 5,000 military and civilian staff participated in STEADFAST DUEL 2024 to enhance NATO’s operational readiness, multi-domain capabilities and combined interoperability.
27 NATO Command and Force Structure headquarters, including Allied Joint Force Command Naples (JFC Naples) and NATO Allied Air Command (AIRCOM) as the primary exercise participants, military and civilian personnel from national entities, international and non-governmental organizations were involved in the exercise.
Experimentations and Distinguished Visitors
A highlight of STEADFAST DUEL 2024 were the Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (HQ SACT)-led experimentation activities, focusing on the Layered Resilience Concept (which aims to enhance military resilience and its interdependencies with civil resilience), cyber risk management, countering weapons of mass destruction, and signals intelligence support.
During the exercise, a number of distinguished visitors were present at the JWC to observe the exercise first-hand and liaise with the JWC leadership: Admiral Sir Keith Edward Blount, Royal Navy, NATO’s Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe; General Markus Laubenthal, German Army, Chief of Staff SHAPE; and Lieutenant General Sean C. Bernabe, Deputy Commanding General of United States Army Europe and Africa.
The JWC played a pivotal role in planning and executing STEADFAST DUEL 2024. Operational since 2003, the JWC is dedicated to providing realistic and challenging training scenarios to NATO forces. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and advanced simulation tools, the JWC ensures that NATO’s military forces are prepared to meet future challenges.
Colonel Kevin Rafferty, the JWC’s Deputy Chief of Staff Exercises, Training and Innovation and the Chief of the Exercise Control, explained that STEADFAST DUEL 2024 provided a great training venue that strengthened NATO forces’ ability to deter and defeat a peer-level adversary across all domains and levels of conflict.
Colonel Rafferty said: “The scale, scope, and complexity of the STEADFAST series of exercises, which are multi-domain by design, continue to evolve to meet the strategic security environment. Although the Joint Warfare Centre has just delivered Exercise STEADFAST DUEL 2024, we have Exercise STEADFAST DAGGER 2024 three weeks from now, and we have planning teams deployed and preparing Exercise STEADFAST DETERRENCE 2025.”
Next year’s Exercise STEADFAST DETERRENCE is to be executed in May.
STEADFAST DUEL 2024 Key Objectives:
- Enhance Readiness: Improve NATO’s ability to respond to crises and threats.
- Test Capabilities: Evaluate the effectiveness of NATO’s military capabilities across multiple domains.
- Promote Interoperability: Foster cooperation and interoperability among Allied forces.
- Develop Future Concepts: Explore innovative approaches to warfare and defence.