STAVANGER, Norway – The Scripting Workshop for NATO Exercise STEADFAST JUPITER-JACKAL 2020 (STJU-JA20) continues at the Joint Warfare Centre (JWC), with the participation of exercise planners and subject matter experts from the JWC, trusted agents from Joint Force Command Naples (JFCNP) and 1 German/Netherlands Corps (1GNC), as well as contributing nations, supporting component commands, and short-term operational contractors.

The purpose of the Scripting Workshop is to finalize the storylines and script the injects in order to provide realistic exercise content that supports all primary training objectives during the execution phase of STJU-JA20.

The workshop is the third and final step in the Main Events List/Main Incidents List (MEL/MIL) process, following the one-week Incident Development Workshop at the JWC.

In his opening remarks on October 28, Rear Admiral Jan C. Kaack, Commander JWC and the Exercise Director, explained that exercises like STJU-JA20 provide a training environment that will ultimately make NATO even stronger. 

“STEADFAST JUPITER-JACKAL 2020 is one of the most complex exercises in NATO’s recent history, with two separately commanded, but adjacent Joint Operating Areas, in a completely new setting. But I believe that we are now in a good position to deliver our training audiences all of their training objectives set, and to conduct an enjoyable and safe exercise,” Rear Admiral Kaack said. 

“This is your exercise, it is your script, and it will give you back as much as you put into it,” Rear Admiral Kaack added. “I sense a real determination all round to make this work – we all share that determination, and we believe that we have set the conditions for a good outcome, for the JWC, for the training audiences, and above all, for NATO.”

 

A great opportunity to strengthen civil and military cooperation and interoperability

Netherlands Navy Commander Lourens Zijlstra, Chief Grey Cell for STJU-JA20, explained that the exercise is a great opportunity to strengthen civil and military cooperation and interoperability.

“Civilian subject matter experts contribute to our exercise, especially in the fields where we, as the military, may lack the detailed knowledge. They include former ambassadors who can realistically script and role-play the political and strategic challenges that a Joint Force Command headquarters may face, as well as a former police commissioner and retired senior officials who previously served in ministries of infrastructure and logistics,” Zijlstra said.

He added: “We are also planning to embed real-world international organizations and non-governmental organizations into the exercise. The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Sponsored by SHAPE, Exercise STEADFAST JUPITER-JACKAL 2020 is based on an out-of-area non-Article 5 scenario, created and developed by the JWC to enhance NATO interoperability and readiness.

The computer-assisted/command post exercise (CAX/CPX) will be conducted at all levels: strategic, operational and tactical. STJU-JA20 is the first exercise in recent years where SACEUR will serve as the Officer Scheduling the Exercise (OSE).