NATO Military Committee heads to JFC Brunssum as the Alliance boosts deterrence and defence on its way to Multi-Domain Operations
On 23rd March 2023, the NATO Military Committee visited Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFC Brunssum), in the Netherlands. The Allied and Invitee Military Representatives were briefed on ongoing work strands and deliverables to be presented at the Vilnius Summit in July 2023.
Opening the visit, JFC Brunssum’s Commander, General Guglielmo Luigi Miglietta, welcomed the Military Representatives noting, “Regardless of the scale, intensity, complexity or tempo of our activities, NATO must remain vigilant and strong in its deterrence and defence posture. We must go back to our roots to ensure that we are able to protect all of our territory and people.”
The Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, stated that “NATO needs to be prepared to deter and defend against all threats, in all domains and all geographical areas.” He underscored the crucial role JFC Brunssum plays within the defensive posture of the Alliance. “JFC Brunssum plans, executes and supports military operations within its area of responsibility and across all domains. It also helps train multinational troops during exercises and rotationally takes the lead for the NATO Response Force. As such, this command is ensuring that NATO is ready and able to deter and defend against any threats.”
The war in Ukraine has highlighted a fundamental shift in NATO operations from crisis management to collective defence; it has also shone a light on the need for a more integrated approach to multi-domain operations. “JFC Brunssum has further increased our commitment towards training and educating our people.
This, in addition to recent and planned improvements in our organizational setup, are a step forward in our constant refinement towards the multi-domain operations concept.” stated General Miglietta.
The visit to JFC Brunssum is part of a tour the NATO Military Committee is currently conducting to NATO’s Joint Force Commands to assess ongoing work strands in response to decisions taken at the Madrid Summit and to be delivered ahead of the NATO Summit in Vilnius. “Regional Plans are crucial to enable NATO’s efforts shift from out-of-area operations to large-scale territorial defence. NATO is taking further steps to strengthen its collective defence. This means that NATO and national military planning will be more closely linked than ever before. Together, we will ensure that our defensive shield is not only up but strong enough to defend the one billion people living on Allied territory,” concluded Admiral Bauer.