Senior Course 122 (SC 122) continued its first Field Study (FS 1) with a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and specifically to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, on 21st March.
The leadership of the NATO Defense College and all members of SC 122 were welcomed by Colonel Mohammed Al Kaabi, the Head of the Naval Educational Branch at the Joint Command and Staff College (JCSC), in the city of Abu Dhabi.
Col Al Kaabi then went on to deliver the first briefing to the NATO delegation: he gave them a short history of the JCSC, with a description of its present mission, its organization and the methodology used to achieve its training objectives. The JCSC Staff course is attended every year by 103 students from 7 different countries, mainly from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. The high level of education provided by the College is certified through a Master’s degree, awarded at the end of the course.
A vibrant Question & Answer period followed the briefing, with most of the questions focusing on the special role to be played by the JCSC in enhancing security in the Persian Gulf.
The day continued with a visit to AL DHAFRA Air Base. Course Members were briefed by Lt Col Abdalla Al Suwaidi on the Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) training course. Information on the Emirates’ Air Warfare & Air Defence Mission Statement was also provided, with details of the training environment. Lt Col Al Suwaidi gave exhaustive explanations of the aeronautical procedures followed during training, as well as clarifications on the programmes the UAE Air Force is implementing in cooperation with other (mostly GCC) countries. A final briefing was given on all other activities taking place on the Air Base. Course Members had the chance to raise questions after each of the presentations, and more specifically on the intensive training programmes and the highly technological equipment used to achieve the training objectives.
After an intense day of briefings and discussions, Course Members had the privilege of meeting Maj Gen Rashad Mohammed S. Al Saadi. This was a valuable opportunity to discuss points of interest emerging from the day’s visits with a very senior officer in the UAE Armed Forces.
The first two stops during FS 1 have given Course Members a better understanding of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI), the enormous political, economic and military progress achieved by two important NATO partner countries, and their potential future role in ensuring security and stability in the Gulf region.
Next stop: Paris.
More about the Field Study:
Collège de Défense de l'OTAN 
