STAVANGER, Norway – From September 2 to 9, NATO Joint Warfare Centre (JWC) conducted two separate scripting workshops for STEADFAST JUPITER 2022 (STJU22) – a multi-level exercise, which will train and evaluate 1 (German/Netherlands) Corps (1GNC) for NATO Response Force 2023 (NRF23) under the lead of Allied Joint Force Command Naples (JFC Naples).
Over 110 civilian and military personnel across NATO and from Allied and Partner Nations, representatives from governmental institutions and non-governmental organizations as well as external contractors teamed up to continue the planning and preparation for STJU22, scheduled to take place this fall.
Major General Piotr Malinowski, Commander JWC, kicked off the Main Events List/Main Incidents List (MEL/MIL) Workshop on September 2, explaining how the event was designed to ensure a realistic script for the execution phase, contributing to 1GNC’s significant role within NRF23.
“Successful collaboration will lead to a successful execution phase. We have a good team of scripters, trusted agents from the training audience, response cells staff and subject matter experts here. I am confident that we will produce the required exercise content that supports all primary training objectives,” the Commander said.
Major General Malinowski also underlined the significance of the workshop for the JWC.
“The JWC has mastered the art of delivering operational- and strategic-level exercise content and training to prepare respective commands and components to support NATO’s requirements,” he said, adding: “With this exercise, we are focusing exclusively on the tactical level. I am confident that, with your participation and expertise, our team will achieve mastery of tactical level content development.”
“With this exercise, we are focusing exclusively on the tactical level.
I am confident that, with your participation and expertise, our team will achieve mastery of tactical level content development.”
Major General Piotr Malinowski, Commander JWC
“The workshops are where the preparations come to a head for all layers of our training.
It creates the detail of the exercise that will challenge our audiences and ensure that they are ready for their key roles in NATO’s force structure.”
Navy Commander Peter Williams, the JWC’s lead planner for STJU22
On top of the 1GNC element, the exercise will also involve a vignette-based exercise for Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) at the strategic level, and a battle staff training for JFC Naples at the operational level.
The vignette workshop, which started on September 5, focused on producing the MEL/MIL content for SHAPE to support the delivery of four standalone vignettes in line with the STJU22 training objectives.
Based on a fictitious Article 5 scenario, these custom-made vignettes cover a broad range of readiness and military mobility operations focusing on enablement and resilience, targeting, cyber defence, and civil-military cooperation (CIMIC).
The vignettes highlight NATO’s ambition to maintain high levels of preparedness, especially with regards to large-scale movement of forces and equipment in a joint operations area, as well as dialogue and interactions between civilian and military actors.
“The workshops are where the preparations come to a head for all layers of our training,” said Navy Commander Peter Williams, the JWC’s lead planner for STJU22.
“It creates the detail of the exercise that will challenge our audiences and ensure that they are ready for their key roles in NATO’s force structure.”
Both workshops serve as the final step in the JWC-led MEL/MIL process.
Lieutenant Colonel Markus Ulrich, the Chief Content for the exercise explained: “The task to deliver an exercise tailored to SHAPE’s needs has been challenging and has required an imaginative approach to development. The experience and adaptability of all involved has been crucial and is testament to NATO’s flexibility and willingness to learn and improve.”
"I am very pleased with the results of this workshop," said Lieutenant Colonel Rick Williams from the JWC's Content Branch.
"Given a shorter than usual period to conduct the scripting, the event managers quickly organized everyone and focused on delivering a script that satisfies all the training objectives. I am impressed with the quality of the storylines and injects produced during the eight days of scripting. We are now in a good position to support 1 (German/Netherlands) Corps during the execution phase in October."
On September 9, Lieutenant General Nico Tak, Commander 1GNC, also paid a visit to the JWC to meet with the scripting personnel and tour the Centre’s state-of-the-art exercise facilities.
Lieutenant General Nico Tak, Commander 1GNC visits the JWC, September 9
