A 20-person Operational Liaison Reconnaissance Team (OLRT) led by NATO Rapid Deployable Corps - Spain (NRDC-ESP) conducted a simulated fact-finding mission at Joint Warfare Centre (JWC) from June 10 to 14, 2019.
The OLRT deployment is a part of NRDC-ESP’s wider planning stage for NATO Exercise TRIDENT JACKAL 2019 (TRJA19), which will take place in September this year.
Exercise TRJA19 will be directed by Commander JWC, who is designated as the Officer Directing the Exercise (ODE).
British Royal Air Force Squadron Leader Glen Allanach, JWC’s Chief Grey Cell for TRJA19, explained the intent for the OLRT deployment within the crisis response planning phase as well as JWC Grey Cell’s role in supporting it.
“During TRIDENT JACKAL 2019, Spanish troops will deploy to the fictitious country of Arnland, at the request of the Arnish government. To facilitate the OLRT’s fact-finding mission, JWC’s Grey Cell, augmented by representatives from the fictitious country of Arnland, formed up on the 7th of June. Following some situational briefs from JWC Content Branch, the representatives established their engagement strategy with NATO for Arnland and the surrounding region,” Allanach said.
“The Grey Cell composition during an OLRT is designed to test the Training Audience’s understanding of the full PMESII (political, military, economic, social, infrastructure and information ) spectrum, with attending experts ranging from former Ambassadors, multiple General Officers, a Police Commissioner and academics/advisors in stabilization and gender equality,” he added.
A key purpose of the OLRT deployment is for NRDC-ESP military and civilian personnel to develop an Operational Plan, which details the missions and tasks NRDC-ESP forces might undertake in the fictitious theatre of operations based on the non-Article 5, SKOLKAN-2 training scenario.
Simply put, the OLRT is a small team of specialists who deploy to a theatre of operations (unstable due to political failure or natural disaster), bilaterally or through NATO, under a complex mandate, in order to understand that environment, assess what is needed there and establish relationships to determine the success of a future operation or relief effort. They function as the “eyes and ears” of the Joint Force Commander before his deployment.
A key purpose of the OLRT deployment is for NRDC-ESP military and civilian personnel to develop an Operational Plan (OPLAN), which details the missions and tasks NRDC-ESP forces might undertake in the fictitious theatre of operations based on the JWC-created non-Article 5 SKOLKAN-2 training scenario.
“JWC Grey Cell Subject Matter Experts provide a great opportunity for the Training Audience to learn and engage from the tactical level up to the political, whilst attempting to satisfy the information requirements of their Joint Headquarters,” Allanach said.
Successful completion of the OLRT deployment leaves NRDC-ESP fully informed for their planning of operations, ready for TRJA19 execution in September, Allanach concluded.
Sponsored by NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT), Exercise TRIDENT JACKAL 2019 is a two-level (operational and tactical) Command Post Exercise (CPX) that will train NRDC-ESP in a Joint Task Force Headquarters role, able to plan and conduct a Land-heavy Small Joint Crisis Response Operation under the direct command of SACEUR.
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