STAVANGER, Norway – The Incident Development Workshop for NATO Exercise TRIDENT JUPITER 2019-2 (TRJU19-2) took place from Jan. 13 to 19, 2020 at the Joint Warfare Centre’s (JWC) training facility in Stavanger, Norway.
The upcoming exercise will be one of the largest and most complex NATO Command Post Exercises (CPX) to date, based upon a fictitious Article 5 scenario at the Major Joint Operations Plus (MJO+) level, created and developed by the JWC.
The workshop involved over 200 external participants, including key trusted agents1 from across the TRJU19-2 Training Audiences, Allied and Partner Nations, representatives from NATO Centres of Excellence, non-governmental and international organizations, as well as over 40 subject matter experts, exercise planners and scenario developers from the JWC.
TRJU19-2 is scheduled to take place in early spring. It will be directed by Rear Admiral Jan C. Kaack, Commander JWC, who is designated as the ODE, or Officer Directing the Exercise.
As the second iteration of NATO’s three-part TRIDENT JUPITER 2019 Exercise Campaign, TRJU19-2 is linked to last year’s TRIDENT JUPITER 2019-1 (TRJU19-1) and the upcoming, one-level (tactical/land-centric) exercise LOYAL LEDA, which will be directed by the Joint Force Training Centre (JFTC).
TJRU19-2 will be even larger and more extensive than its predecessor, TRJU19-1. It will provide a compelling and realistic training venue to evaluate and certify Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFC Brunssum) as a Joint Task Force Headquarters.
Rear Admiral Jan C. Kaack, Commander Joint Warfare Centre
Focused training and coordinated effort to enhance NATO capabilities
Rear Admiral Kaack gave the workshop’s keynote address highlighting how collaborative approach throughout the exercise planning phase would pave the way for a successful execution phase.
“Last year, TRIDENT JUPITER 2019-1 provided ample opportunity to challenge the Training Audiences through a fictitious but very realistic scenario. This year, TRIDENT JUPITER 2019-2 will provide yet another unique opportunity to validate our higher commands throughout the NATO Command Structure,” Rear Admiral Kaack told the attendees.
“Eight participating nations, eight Training Audiences as well as SHAPE’s active engagement will add yet a further layer of complexity to an already complex exercise in order to test NATO’s responsiveness, robust command and control capabilities, and deterrence and defence posture; thus, also challenging our crew here at the JWC to an unprecedented level,” Kaack added.
The workshop focused on training in a range of capabilities in support of the Training Objectives2, including operations assessment (to measure the progress and results of military operations in conflict environments); the decision-making process; joint targeting; resilience (NATO Article 3) as a core element of collective defence; strategic communications; intelligence cycle; force protection, and integrated air and missile defence.
The aim is to challenge the NATO Command Structure, namely, JFC Brunssum – the primary Training Audience of the exercise – along with Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), Allied Air Command (AIRCOM), Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM), Allied Land Command (LANDCOM), the Polish Special Operations Component Command and the Joint Logistic Support Group in order to test and strengthen the collective defence of the Alliance.
A script that is fit for purpose
Explaining the aim of the workshop, British Air Force Wing Commander John Rees, Chief Main Events List/Main Incidents List (MEL/MIL) for TRJU19-2, said: "The Joint Warfare Centre is here to facilitate the Incident Development and the forthcoming Scripting Workshops, collate and refine the products developed by the external augmentees and ensure we collaboratively build a script that is fit for purpose in challenging the Training Audiences’ plans and processes."
"Through the professional subject matter expertise and depth of knowledge of the organisations that they represent, the 220 additional personnel provide the detail that fleshes out the script," Rees added.
Rees highlighted that JWC’s “5-step process” at the workshop, involving familiarization, brainstorming, synchronization, refinement and production, took into account the complexity of the operational environment in which the JWC serves as the ODE. However, Rees says, everything revolves around the Training Audience’s own operational plan.
"We will endeavour to ensure that we deliver the exercise that the Training Audience wants, not necessarily the exercise that we may want to deliver to them. This is about allowing the Training Audience to test their procedures, battle rhythm and decision-making cycles as opposed to undoing their plan," he noted.
According to Rees, effective inter-professional collaboration at these workshops would contribute to improving future training, allowing the scenario developers to design more complex and challenging situations, or operational dilemmas, to stimulate the strategic, operational and tactical levels in all PMESII3 domains.
Rees concluded: "I’m delighted with what we have achieved in a short period of intense activity; through the diligent and focused efforts of the personnel who have come to Stavanger to support JWC; in combination with the expertise in exercise planning that the core JWC staff bring we have achieved the aims of the workshop. The professionalism of all those involved is irrefutable."
Photos from the Incident Development Workshop for TRIDENT JUPITER 2019-2
Wing Commander John Rees, Chief Main Events List/Main Incidents List (MEL/MIL) for TRJU19-2
ENDNOTES:
1 Trusted Agent: A member of the Training Audience, who supports the Officer Directing the Exercise (ODE) with the design, development, and delivery of the exercise.
2 Training Objectives: A mission essential task to be performed under resource conditions and defined standards.
3 PMESII: Political, Military, Economic, Social, Infrastructure, Information.
Further Reading:
Exercise Report: TRIDENT JUPITER 2019-1