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The Chief of Staff of the Army participated in the 8th edition of European Chiefs of Staff of the Army Forum

Friday, March 25, 2022

Number: 8899

In Strasbourg (France)

 
The Chief of Staff of the Army (JEME in Spanish), general of the Army Amador Enseñat y Berea participated in the 8th edition of the European Chiefs of Staff of the Army Forum, which was held in Strasbourg, between 22nd and 24th of March, being France the country responsible for the organization.
 
Within the framework of this Forum, the  European Chiefs of Staff of the Army focused on  different issues concerning the present threats about the European area and how the Armies can contribute to a comm European security. Likewise, they have analyzed how to contribute more efficiently to European security against the various threats it has to deal with, as well as the need to make the Strategic Compass operational. It is a document under development that looks for an autonomous European Union in the field of Security and Defence to be able to face a series of common threats. In its turn, it develops a framework that enables the EU as an entity to become an actor of global importance. To that end, starting from an analysis of the threat, it gives a common strategic scenario and enumerates the tools and initiatives to guarantee a fast, decisive and strong action of the EU.
 
Likewise, they presented European technological initiatives, as well as a dynamic presentation about the collaborative combat, specifically the PESCO EcoWAR project (EU Collaborative Warfare Capabilities). This project is based on the implementation of different degrees of interoperability by means of layers: sharing information, combining information and carrying out common actions. Within the project, there is the ESSOR System (European Secure Software Defined Radio), coordinated by France and in which Spain participates, that tries to define and develop a common radio software that uses a new type of high capacity wave, valid for voice and data, that enables radiocommunication teams of different European countries to interoperate in a safe way.
 
Participants in the European Chiefs of Staff of the Army Forum

Participants in the European Chiefs of Staff of the Army Forum

The forum represented a new opportunity to discuss about the collaborative combat and how to strengthen the communication links between the different European armies.
 
NATO focuses on STANAGs (Standardization Agreements –Acuerdos de Estandarización–) that guarantee the interoperability between the systems of the members of the Alliance. However, Europe is developing PESCO projects created by committees of European defence industries with the aim of providing as many European armies as possible with common materials. Spain, as a member of NATO and PESCO projects, participates in the development of common systems, maintaining NATO’s interoperability criteria, understanding that this way is the one that can best consolidate a future collaborative combat within the EU armies. More concretely, the Army leads and coordinates the PESCO project  Next Generation Small RPAS, in which other European Powers participate.
 
Finally, the forum included a debate session within the framework of training of non European forces, about how to improve the process of teaching and training, individual and collective, as well as the results of the UE missions. In this way, they discussed aspects like: the opportunities to improve the military relationship with non European “partners”, the use of the European Peace Support Fund, how to adapt the mission to the specific needs of the host nations and the opinion about the Military Training Teams.
 
Likewise, the focus has been put on the situation in Mali. The exit of France from the African country and the limitations imposed by the Malian transitional government to the activities of the EUTM have led the European authorities to assess the viability of the mission in terms of freedom of action. Spain, for its part, keeps intact its relationship with Malian Armed Forces and, as a consequence, it maintains the agreement with the project for the construction of the bases of Bamako and Sevaré, without changes in the deployment nor in the tasks. The conditions that the EU has imposed to maintain the mission are that the Malian government guarantees the security of the same and that the trained staff is under the command of the Malian forces.
 
European Chiefs of Staff of the Army Forum 2023 
 
Taking advantage of the 2022 Forum, the Chiefs of Staff of the Army have been personally invited to the 2023 European Chiefs of Staff of the Army Forum, that is expected to be held in Spain in October of next year, in conjuction with the Spanish presidency od the UE.