Planning phase of the exercise “Steadfast Leda 2021” at the NATO Rapid Deployment Headquarters

Personnel from the NATO Rapid Deployment Corp Spanish Headquarters (HQ NRDC-ESP) have carried out crisis response planning, known as CPP (Corps Planning Process), from April the 19th to May the 4th. Completed at its facilities at the “Jaime I” base in Bétera (Valencia), the objective of this planning was to draw up the tactical level operations order for the “Steadfast Leda 2021” exercise, which will be held at the end of 2021.

In these two weeks, the Headquarters has conducted the planning process that concluded in the “Decision brief” with the selection, by the head of the HQ NRDC-ESP, Lieutenant General Fernando García-Vaquero Pradal, of the line of action to prepare the Operations Order in which the mission, the concept of the operation and the tasks entrusted to the subordinate units will be reflected. The aforementioned planning process, together with the preparation of the operations order, is part of the evaluation process of this unit for subsequent certification in its new role as NATO’s Headquarters for Army Corps for High Intensity Operations or NATO WFC (Warfighting Corps which will be acquired on the 1st of January 2022, for one year. Similarly, from May the 24th to June the 4th, a preparatory exercise for command posts will be carried out in Bétera for the certification exercise.

Around 200 officers and Non-Commissioned Officers from the Headquarters itself have participated during this planning phase together with allied personnel from the NATO Allied Land Command-Izmir based in Izmir (Turkey); NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) HQ in Innsworth, Great Britain; and the NATO Joint Force Training Centre, located in Bydgoszcz (Poland). Similarly, liaison officers from different subordinate units have participated, both in combat and support and logistical support to combat.

The NATO Army Corps Headquarters for High Intensity Operations or NATO WFC is a new NATO concept that requires adequate capabilities and structure to respond to future challenges in a rapidly changing security environment. This transformation is continuous and systematic due to the constant lessons learned and experiences obtained from the members of the Alliance.

 

Service members of the Unit in the planning phase