Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence

07/09/2026

⚠️ The security environment is changing fast. NATO must move faster.

🛡️ As NATO’s Centres of Excellence, our role is to turn specialised expertise, innovation and lessons learned into practical solutions that strengthen the Alliance.

🧭 From Arctic experimentation and counter-drone technologies to cyber defence, crisis management, resilience and military medicine, the focus is clear: identify the challenge, test, learn and deliver.

🤝 At CMDR COE, we are proud to be part of this network, connecting expertise with operational demand and helping to keep NATO ready for what comes next.

✨ Adapt. Innovate. Deliver. Stay ready.

NATO’s Centres of Excellence keep adapting as the security environment changes.
The 30 NATO-accredited Centres of Excellence bring specialised expertise that can adapt quickly, test new approaches and turn experience into something the Alliance can use.

This week in Stavanger, NATO COE Directors met with NATO commands and organisations to look at how that expertise can be connected even more closely to operational demand.

From Arctic experimentation and counter-drone technologies to cyber defence, resilience and military medicine, the focus is practical: identify the problem, test solutions, learn quickly and turn results into something NATO can use.

A network that evolves with the challenges. And stays focused on readiness.

🔗 Read more: https://www.act.nato.int/article/coe-support-alliance-readiness/

27/08/2026

🤝 CMDR COE strengthens resilience and crisis preparedness in Jordan 🇯🇴

In cooperation with the Jordanian Armed Forces, CMDR COE is delivering specialised training on CBRN and terrorism risk reduction in Amman.

The five-day course combines expert-led sessions, practical syndicate work and a table-top exercise to strengthen institutional preparedness, coordination and decision-making in complex crisis scenarios.

🛡️ Through tailored Mobile Education and Training, CMDR COE continues to support partner nations in building resilience and crisis-response capabilities.

🔗 Read more on our website ⬇️

25/08/2026

🛡️ Resilience is essential to collective defence.

NATO - Allied Command Transformation (ACT) has highlighted the role of the CMDR COE in strengthening whole-of-society preparedness, civil-military cooperation and Alliance resilience.

✨ Among the activities recognised are the South-Eastern Europe Simulation Exercise 2025 and the CMDR COE’s contribution to NATO’s Layered Resilience efforts.

🧩 Through exercises, education and training, experimentation and expert support, the CMDR COE continues to strengthen preparedness and interoperability in support of NATO’s ability to deter, defend and respond.

Resilience is built before a crisis. Authorities need to understand who controls essential systems, how information will be shared and where military and civilian plans depend on one another.

05/08/2026

🎓 Young talent. Fresh ideas. Meaningful research.

CMDR COE had the pleasure of working with two highly motivated interns, Dzuliana and Joshua, whose research brought valuable new perspectives to the Centre’s crisis management and disaster response portfolio.

📢 Dzuliana explored crisis communication in disaster relief operations, focusing on the role of Public Affairs, engagement with affected populations, misinformation, disinformation, 🤖 AI-generated content, 📚 media literacy and 🛡️ resilience.

🌍 Joshua examined the links between climate change, conflict, infrastructure, resilience and humanitarian impact, with a focus on 📊 data, 🛰️ surveillance and interoperable systems to support better decision-making.

🎯 Both interns also took part in CMDR COE courses, gaining practical insight into 🌱 climate change and security, 🤝 crisis management in multilateral frameworks and today’s complex disaster response environment.

💬 As Joshua shared, his time at the Centre was “nothing short of amazing.” Dzuliana described the internship as an opportunity to gain “practical insights and a broader understanding” of disaster response and crisis communication.

👏 CMDR COE thanks Dzuliana and Joshua for their professionalism, curiosity and valuable contributions. 💙 Bright minds like theirs bring new energy to our mission.

27/07/2026

💫 Weekly wrap-up
CMDR COE Delegation Conducted Working Visit to Japan 🇯🇵

🌏 The Director of CMDR COE, COL Orlin Nikolov, PhD, together with the Head of Operational Labs, COL Kostadin Lazarov, conducted a working visit to Japan focused on crisis management, disaster response, civil preparedness and resilience.
👥 An important member of the visiting delegation was Dr Martin Ivanov from the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC), one of CMDR COE’s most valued and strategic partners, who plays a pivotal role in strengthening cooperation and advancing resilience across the Alliance.
🦺 The delegation observed JRX 2026 and met with Japanese defence, disaster management, WPS, research and resilience counterparts to exchange experience on civil-military cooperation, disaster relief operations, host-nation support, gender perspectives in crisis response, early warning, risk intelligence, exercise design and lessons identified.
🛘 The visit highlighted Japan’s extensive disaster management experience and CMDR COE’s added value as a specialised platform for crisis management and disaster response.
🛡️ Through this engagement, CMDR COE and EADRCC continue to support NATO’s deterrence and defence priorities by strengthening resilience, connecting civilian and military expertise, and promoting practical cooperation with highly capable partners.
🤝 Our team would like to express sincere gratitude to the staff of the Bulgarian Embassy in Tokyo, whose invaluable support made this visit possible.

21/07/2026

🌍 Disaster relief requires cooperation before crisis strikes.

CMDR COE hosted the Disaster Relief in the CSDP Context Course from 14 to 17 July 2026 in Sofia, under the auspices of the European Security and Defence College.

🤝 The course was organised in cooperation with the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute, the National College of Internal Affairs of Romania, and “G. S. Rakovski” National Defence College.

✨ We were honoured by the presence during the course of H.E. Brândușa Predescu, Ambassador of Romania to the Republic of Bulgaria, Dr Raed Arafat, Secretary of State and Head of the Department for Emergency Situations of Romania 🇷🇴, as well as senior representatives from the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs, ESDC and partner institutions.

👥 Over four days, lecturers and participants from military, civilian, diplomatic, police, academic and humanitarian backgrounds explored how the EU can bring policies, institutions and capabilities together when disasters strike.

📌 Key topics included civil-military cooperation, humanitarian assistance, ECHO, resilience, CSDP instruments, military support to disaster relief, lessons learned and a practical tabletop exercise.

🛡️ At CMDR COE, we believe that effective coordination cannot be improvised during a crisis; it must be built through shared understanding, professional trust and practised cooperation.

07/07/2026

🛡️ Strengthening civil-military cooperation in support of NATO Deterrence and Defence

✨ CMDR COE hosted the Civil-Military Cooperation Workshop: Civil Planning in Support of the DDA Family of Plans, bringing together Bulgarian institutions, NATO, US counterparts such as EUCOM, DSCA and the Tennessee National Guard.

📑 The workshop focused on how civil planning, national resilience, host-nation support, and critical civil capabilities contribute to credible Allied preparedness.

🤝 Discussions addressed interagency coordination, the designation of civil capabilities, and the translation of defence requirements into practical civil planning.

💪 CMDR COE remains committed to supporting NATO’s deterrence and defence efforts by connecting military and civil expertise, lessons identified, and practical cooperation.

27/06/2026

🛰️🌍 CMDR COE and NATO Space COE recently hosted the NATO STO MSG-235 working meeting in Toulouse, France, bringing together experts from the military, scientific, academic, and industry communities.

✨ Chaired by CMDR COE Director Colonel Orlin Nikolov, the project explores how space weather data can be turned into practical information to support resilience, risk assessment, and crisis management.

🤝 By linking science with operational needs, the initiative helps improve understanding of risks affecting critical systems and strengthens preparedness in an increasingly complex security environment.

20/06/2026

🧠 CMDR COE Cognitive Warfare Course – Another Tool to Support NATO Deterrence and Defence 🛡️

👥 Over five intensive days, more than 25 military and civilian participants from five countries explored how cognition, perception, identity, information, technology, and adversarial influence shape today’s security environment.

🎯 The course directly supports current NATO priorities by strengthening understanding of the cognitive dimension, decision-making, resilience, civil-military cooperation, and the ability to counter influence activities across peace, crisis, and conflict.

🔎 Key topics included human cognition, cognitive biases, strategic influence, cyber aspects, pre-bunking and inoculation, NATO’s approach, AI-enabled cognitive operations, OSINT, digital forensics, and national cognitive resilience.

💡 Through lectures, syndicate work, and a capstone exercise, participants transformed knowledge into practical approaches for strengthening resilience and supporting Allied preparedness.

🤝 CMDR COE thanks all lecturers, facilitators, and participants for their valuable contributions.

🔗 For more information, follow the link in the comments.