14/10/2021
CC SBAMD scores HATTRICK in NATO’s and Nations’ IAMD Education.
CCSBAMD supported by US Army Combat Training School performed 3 major IAMD educational events for students from multiple NATO and NATO partner nations (SWE, POL, NATO SCHOOL OBERAMMERGAU).
CC SBAMD performed three major Integrated Air & Missile Defence (IAMD) educational events for in total more than 110 students from multiple NATO and NATO partner nations.
Supported by staff from the US Army Combat Training School (CTS), the Mobile Education and Training Team (METT) kicked off with a dedicated training for the Swedish Air and Missile Defence forces. More than 30 members of multiple Swedish units and HQs attended the interactive lectures, given at the barracks of the Swedish Air Defence Regiment “LV6” in HALMSTAD, SWEDEN from 31st August to 2nd September.
As one of NATO’s six Enhanced Opportunity Partner Nations under the Partnership Interoperability Initiative, SWEDEN invested heavily in new AMD systems including Patriot and IRIS-T, expediting the IKM process to effectively employ these systems in national and NATO operations.
Truly mobile, the METT travelled to the Polish Air Operations Center (AOC) and Air Component Command (ACC) in WARSZAWA, executing a 4-day intense comprehensive IAMD training for over 40 students from tactical SBAMD units, CRCs, the AOC, the War studies University and multiple Polish HQs. From 13th to 16th September, participants were immersed in a wide range of joint, political-strategic, operational and tactical level subjects, examining what is relevant for further education and training for the Polish Air and Missile Defence Forces and its Command and Control (C2). As in SWEDEN, some of the addressed topics included NATO IAMD Policy, Air and Missile Threats, IAMD Standardization and Interoperability, Counter UAS, IAMD Planning and Passive Defence. All activities enable students and units to better understand the NATO IAMD landscape and increase human and procedural interoperability with NATO IAMD.
POLAND continues to heavily qualitatively and quantitatively invest in new “state of the art” defensive sensors and weapon systems, whilst increasing integration into NATO IAMD of new and traditional means.
Lastly, CC SBAMD staff contributed to the NATO School Oberammergau (NSO) hosted Missile Defence Course, teaching 40 students the ins and outs of NATO Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) and Theatre BMD (TBMD). In cooperation with CTS and USA Joint BMD Training and Education Center (JBTEC), the team focused its lectures on Missile Threats, Operations Planning, Counter UAS and Space Support, incorporating all lessons into syndicate assignments and missile defence simulation runs.
CC SBAMD’s Section Head ETEE and Course Director, Major Daniel is very satisfied with the conducted mobile trainings. “It is always a pleasure to work with the Polish and Swedish students, as they are open minded and truly interested to learn something new, or perpetuate their knowledge. Additionally, our trainers learned from the students as well, as participants critically analysed NATO procedures and eagerly showed intent to evolve these, to higher standards.” In this way, “best of both worlds” solutions are distilled, which will increase interoperability between NATO and NATO partners, but also amongst NATO partners themselves. In a rapidly evolving IAMD arena, legacy thinking should be challenged and procedures should be constantly adapted to evolving threats, resources and operational environments.
NATO IAMD is a joint mission set which is designed, planned, executed and evaluated by nations and NATO, including NATO HQ, Allied Command Transformation, Allied Command Operations, (including SHAPE, Joint Force Commands, Maritime Command, Land Command, Air Command, NATO SOF HQ) and NATO Force Structures (NFS). However, NATO entities do not possess a dedicated Mobile Education and Training Capability, while the demand for IAMD education is immense.
Therefore, CC SBAMD will continue to provide METTs, as they are paramount for IAMD Training, NATO wide. These METTs will support the frame of NATO HQ AIRCOM’s “Common Education and Training Programme”.
The next CC SBAMD events, The C-IAMD Course (29th November to 03rd December 2021) and the CC SBAMD Conference (15-17 February 2022) both hosted @ HQ AIRCOM) will contribute to education IAMD staff, NATO wide.
