STAVANGER, Norway – After 15 months of preparation, NATO Exercise STEADFAST JUPITER-JACKAL 2020 (STJU-JA 20) officially kicked off at locations in Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Norway and Turkey on December 1, 2020.
Sponsored by Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) and directed by the Joint Warfare Centre (JWC), STJU-JA 20 is NATO’s largest computer-assisted/command post exercise (CAX/CPX) this year.
The 10-day strategic, operational, and tactical level exercise will train and evaluate the NATO Response Force (NRF) command and control headquarters for 2021, including Allied Joint Force Command Naples (JFCNP) and 1 German-Netherlands Corps (1GNC).
STJU-JA 20 will provide a critical training and certification opportunity to maintain readiness and increase interoperability of the NRF 2021 rotation in planning for and executing a Non-Article 5 Crisis Response Operation at regional scale in NATO Strategic Direction South.
“To train and to be ready is the cornerstone in NATO’s promise to guarantee security and stability for its member nations. This is even more important in times of global challenges and uncertainty that force us to adapt,” said Rear Admiral Jan C. Kaack, Commander JWC and the Exercise Director.
Rear Admiral Kaack added: “With STEADFAST JUPITER-JACKAL 2020, we will address highly complex, combined-joint crisis response operations and improve our ability to operate together. The Joint Warfare Centre’s crew is very much looking forward to deliver NATO’s largest command post exercise in 2020, to train and evaluate Headquarters of the NATO Command and NATO Force Structure. This is what we can do and what we do well – ultimately 'Together! We make NATO better!'”
Based on a fictitious training scenario created by the JWC’s scenario team, STJU-JA20 will facilitate the execution of two simultaneous Small Joint Operations (SJOs) in an out-of-area and geographically independent Joint Operating Areas.
Important focus areas in Exercise STJU-JA 20 include NATO’s cross-cutting topics, such as Protection of Civilians; Children and Armed Conflict; Cultural Property Protection; Women, Peace and Security; and Building Integrity, as well as challenges related to the comprehensive approach, crisis management, migration, and dis/misinformation.
Notably, STJU-JA 20 is the first major exercise where NATO Policy on Protection of Civilians, which was endorsed by the Nations at the 2016 Warsaw Summit, is recognized as an exercise objective.
With the Protection of Civilians becoming an exercise objective, understanding the human environment will be one of the key themes during the exercise and the training audiences will be exposed to the same opportunities and challenges they would be faced in a real multi-layered operating environment, which involves the international humanitarian community.
STJU-JA 20 training audiences include Allied Joint Force Command Naples, 1 German-Netherlands Corps, Composite Special Operations Component Command and NATO Rapid Deployable Corps Turkey.
The JWC located in Stavanger, Norway provides NATO’s training focal point for full spectrum joint operational level warfare. The Centre supports NATO’s Warfare Development efforts, preparing the Alliance for every contingency through major, complex exercises like STJU-JA 20, integrating a multi-domain approach.
