News

• NDC Outlook 03-2023: Fifty shades of red: where does Russia draw the line?, by Polina Sinovets *

The President of the Czech Republic, H.E. Mr Petr Pavel, addressed Senior Course 143 of the NATO Defense College and Ambassadors from NATO and selected partner countries, on 28 November 2023.

The Negotiation, Mediation, and Decision-Making Exercise (NMDX) was conducted last week at the NATO Defense College, from November 20 to 24, and provided Senior Course 143 an opportunity to implement a portion of the overall NATO Crisis Management Process. The five-day exercise is designed to assist Course Members in enhancing their comprehension of techniques for negotiation, multinational consensus- building, and mediation.

The Ambassador of Türkiye to Italy, H.E. Mr Ömer Gücük, visited the NATO Defense College (NDC) on 23 November 2023 to gain a better understanding of the College and discuss further steps in the cooperation between the NDC and Türkiye.

On 21 November 2023, the Ambassador of Germany to Italy, H.E. Dr Hans-Dieter Lucas, visited the NATO Defense College, actively engaging in discussions to learn more about the activities of the College and how they contribute to its guiding mission of promoting the effectiveness and cohesion of the Alliance.

The Middle East Seminar took place at the NATO Defense College on 15 and 16 November, and was an opportunity to reflect on the current geopolitical events in the Middle East. The two-day seminar, tailored to participants of Senior Course 143 (SC 143), aimed to provide a strategic overview of major political-military and security issues affecting the region. The first day lent a special focus on Iran and the Arab Gulf States.

From 6 to 10 November 2023, one- to three-star generals and flag officers, ambassadors and diplomats from NATO countries, the Partnership for Peace, the Mediterranean Dialogue, the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative and Partners Across the Globe assembled at the NATO Defense College to analyse and discuss the main challenges affecting the global security panorama and how NATO is adapting to them.

The last stop on the Field Study trip to European capitals was Prague, where the NDC delegation was hosted at the Ministry of Defence on 9 November 2023. SC 143 heard comprehensive presentations on the objectives and priorities set out in Czechia’s security & defence policy, and on the country’s new security strategy, which factors in the consequences of the unstable international security situation. The academic session ended with an overview of the Czech Armed Forces and their international commitments, with a special focus on the modernization process, implemented in line with NATO’s much discussed new Force Model. NDC Dean Christopher M. Schnaubelt met the Czech Chief of Defence Staff (CHOD), Lieutenant General Karel Řehka, for an office call, which was an opportunity to learn more about the NDC and to explore the scope for closer, mutually beneficial cooperation. The day concluded with a reception at the military Hotel DAP (Dům Armády Praha) in Prague, hosted by the Czech CHOD.

On 7 November 2023, the NDC delegation had a very fruitful day at the CNA (Cercle National des Armées) Saint-Augustin, where Course Members were briefed on France’s foreign and defence policy and its approach to present and future strategic challenges, not only from a French viewpoint but also from a Euro-Atlantic perspective, as well as France’s vision for NATO and its specific position within the Alliance on nuclear deterrence. In the afternoon, the group visited the military museum in the Hôtel des Invalides, a complex of buildings housing museums and monuments relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans – the building's original purpose – and the Tomb of Napoleon. This historical and cultural activity of high interest to the NDC added great value to the day’s programme. A reception at the Ecole Militaire kindly hosted by the French CHOD, General Thierry Burkhard, ended the Field Study trip to France.

The visit of U.S. National Defense University (NDU) President, Lieutenant General Michael Plehn, to the NATO Defense College (NDC) on 7 November 2023 was an opportunity to discuss ways to deepen cooperation between the NDU and the NDC. The conversations centered on the NATO Defense College's academic programmes, curricula, its value to the Alliance and how Senior Leadership Education can become even better in the future.