STAVANGER, Norway – The Director General of the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB), Ms Elisabeth Aarsæther, visited NATO Joint Warfare Centre (JWC) on Tuesday, May 26, 2020. The Director General was accompanied by her Deputy, Mr Per Brekke, and Specialist Director, Mr Geir Arne Fredriksen.
The aim of the visit was two-fold: First, to discuss how best DSB would continue to support NATO operational-level exercises directed by the JWC, and then to discuss how the JWC can support DSB’s efforts to enhance resilience, which is a combination of civil preparedness and military capacity.
The delegation was welcomed by Rear Admiral Jan C. Kaack, Commander JWC, and Commodore Knut Rief Armo, Special Advisor to Commander JWC.
Following an office call with the Commander, Ms Aarsæther was briefed on the mission, organization and the capabilities of the Centre as NATO's premier operational-level training facility. The visit programme also included a guided tour of the JWC’s state-of-the-art training facility.
A good example of the bilateral cooperation between both organizations was during the largest NATO exercise since the end of the Cold War, Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE 2018.
The exercise placed special emphasis on the Norwegian Total Defence Concept, which was fully integrated into all aspects of the JWC-directed Command Post Exercise portion, describing the total amount of military and civilian efforts during a crisis.
During this exercise, DSB coordinated the whole planning process for civilian participation, as it did in 2017 for TRIDENT JAVELIN.
The lessons identified from both TRIDENT JAVELIN 2017 and TRIDENT JUNCTURE 2018 was then utilized to support the ongoing modernization efforts on the Norwegian Total Defence Concept.
Earlier this year, a JWC delegation led by Rear Admiral Kaack visited various Norwegian military and civilian organizations, including DSB, for a series of official engagements. The aim was to gain deeper insight into the Norwegian Total Defence Concept and to share knowledge with its key actors.
The DSB reports to the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security, and its mission is to maintain a complete overview of various risks and vulnerability in general, covering local, regional and national preparedness and emergency planning, fire safety, electrical safety, handling and transport of hazardous substances, as well as product and consumer safety.
Further Reading:
www.jwc.nato.int/understanding-norways-total-defence-concept