News

• NDC Outlook 02-2023: Anyplace, anywhere, anytime - NATO and multi-domain operations, by Christopher M. Schnaubelt *

The start of Field Study 2 for the NATO Defense College's Senior Course 143 was marked by a comprehensive two-day tour in Rome, Italy, encompassing visits to key institutions, including the Italian Joint Operations Command, the Secretariat General of Defence and National Armaments Directorate, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Italy is one of the 12 founding members of the Alliance and a consistently strong supporter of NATO. Through these immersive experiences, Course Members learnt about Italian defence and political priorities and how these align with NATO’s strategic vision and priorities.

As an integral part of NATO Regional Cooperation Course’s (NRCC) Academic Curriculum, the visit to the Allied Joint Force Command (JFC) Naples and the NATO Strategic Direction-South Hub (NSDS HUB) in Naples, gave Course Members the opportunity to learn more about the role these institutions within the NATO Command Structure. This included an examination of the command dynamics between Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and JFC Naples, as well as the process through which strategic guidance is translated into operational plans and subsequently put into action. The visit also provided a chance for the Commandant of the NATO Defense College, Lieutenant General Max A.L.T. Nielsen, to hold two productive meetings with the Deputy Commander of JFC Naples, Lieutenant General Stephen Kelsey, and the S-Hub Director, Brigadier General Aydın Kiliç, underscoring the added value to gaining deep insights for the NRCC and deepening engagements between the College and both institutions.

The visit of the Estonian Ambassador in Rome H.E. Paul Teesalu to the NATO Defense College, on 24 October 2023, was an opportunity to discuss ways to foster bi-lateral cooperation between Estonia and the College as well as to address the College’s academic work on the war between Russia and Ukraine.

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).