News

From October 16 to 20 2023, the NATO Defense College (NDC) ran the Modular Short Course Partner Integrated 143-1 (MSCPI 143-1). This Course, which is embedded into the Senior Course 143's academic Study Period B, focused on "The Global Security Environment and Drivers of Change." It brought together military officers from various NATO Partner countries, with the aim of delving into the ever-evolving landscape within which NATO operates, and exploring how the Alliance is adapting to maintain its relevance and effectiveness in the years to come.

• NDC Outlook 01-2023: Ghost ship - Russia’s secret naval fleet, by Giangiuseppe Pili, Jack Crawford and Nick Loxton *

On 13 October 2023, His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan visited the NATO Defense College (NDC), accompanied by a delegation from His Royal Highness’s office and the Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the Republic of Italy. The aim of the visit was to deliver a Lecture of Opportunity to Senior Course 143 (SC 143) and NATO Regional Cooperation Course 30 (NRCC 30) on “Eurasia and the Stability of the Mashreq”.

From 9 to 12 October 2023, a delegation from the Iraqi National Defence College (INDC), in coordination with NATO HQ’s DEEP (Defence Education Enhancement Programme), visited the NATO Defense College (NDC) to conduct the second iteration of an academic orientation and curriculum design activity.

Washington, D.C. was the final destination for Senior Course’s Field Study I. On 4 October 2023, Senior Course 143 (SC 143) was hosted at Capitol Hill for a morning of briefings. The delegation then paid their respects at Arlington Cemetery where the Commandant of the NATO Defense College, Lieutenant General Max A.L.T. Nielsen, participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The following day, SC 143 visited the Pentagon for a series of in-depth presentations that afforded Course Members special insight and knowledge about U.S. security and defence policy. A special reception, hosted by Air Force Vice-Chief of Staff, General David W. Allvin, officially concluded the first Field Study of SC 143.

On 3 October 2023, Senior Course 143 continued the North American leg of its Transatlantic Field Study at the Headquarters of Allied Command Transformation (ACT) in Norfolk, Virginia and at Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFC NF).

The NATO Regional Cooperation Course 30 concluded the second and final leg of Field Study 1 in Athens, Greece.

In advance of NATO’s 75th anniversary in 2024, the NATO Defense College invites fictional intelligence and sci-fi authors from across the Alliance to submit their creative proposal on the theme of “NATO 2099: A Graphic Novel”, a creative project aimed at presenting a futuristic forecast of what the world and the Alliance might look like in the near future.

The NATO Defense College delegation has flown to the United States, beginning the transatlantic portion of Field Study 1. On 29 September 2023, Course Members visited the UN Headquarters, in New York City, where they attended a series of high-level security and defence briefings, addressing future challenges for UN peacekeeping operations and prospects for greater UN-NATO cooperation in this field.

On 27 September 2023, the delegation led by NDC Commandant LGEN Max A.L.T. Nielsen paid a visit to the European Union Military Staff (EUMS) and the European External Action Service (EEAS). At the Charlemagne building, Course Members were given the great opportunity to enjoy in-depth briefings and discussions on EU-related matters and cooperation projects with NATO.