First Commander of NATO Ukraine Command Centre Germany Appointed

According to the NATO 75th Anniversary Summit in Washington DC Communique (July 2024),NATO decided to establish the NATO Security and Assistance Training for Ukraine (NSATU) to coordinate its provision of military equipment and training for Ukraine by Allies and Partners.Its aim is to place security assistance to Ukraine on an enduring footing,ensuring enhanced,predictable and enduring support.NSATU,which will operate in Allied states,will support Ukraine's self-defence in line with the UN Charter (international law).NSATU will not,under international law,make NATO a party to the conflict.It will support the transformation of Ukraine's defence and security forces,enabling its further integration into NATO.*The NATO Ukraine Command Centre Germany in Wiesbaden is located within the headquarters of U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAEURAF) and reports directly to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR),currently GEN Christopher Cavoli,U.S. Army.*The new NATO Ukraine Command Centre Germany's first commander is LTGEN Curtis Buzzard,U.S. Army.The Centre is devoted to providing Ukraine the military equipment and training for the Ukrainian Armed Forces it needs to prevail against Russian aggression.Having recieved U.S. Senate approval,LTGEN Buzzard leads about 700 personnel at the Centre.According to NATO:By using military structures,our support will be on firmer footing;will provide more predictability for Kyiv;and will address both immediate and longer-term needs.*LTGEN Buzzard,a man with a broad smile,is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy (West Point,New York).He most recently served as commander,Army Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Moore,Georgia,from July 2022-July 2024.Prior to that,he served as Deputy Chief Of Staff for Operations,Plans and Training of the United States Army Forces Command from January to June 2022,and as the 78th Commandant of Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy (West Point,New York) from June 2019 to May 2021.Buzzard received a B.S. in Economics from West Point.He later received a Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Master of Military Science from the Marine Corps University.He then served as the U.S. Army Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington,DC.LTGEN Buzzard served as the 82d Airborne Division G3 and commanded its 3rd Brigade Combat Team.LTGEN Buzzard also served as the Army military aide to Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.LTGEN Buzzard served tours in both the Iraq and Afghan Wars.In March 2021,LTGEN Buzzard became Deputy Chief of Operations in NATO's Operation Resolute Support,which trained and assisted Afghan Security Forces;Deputy Commanding General for Operations for U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A);and Commander U.S. National Support Element Command for Operation Freedom's Sentinel.LTGEN Buzzard is married and the father of three daughters.*LTGEN Buzzard's Awards and Decorations include Defense Superior Service Medal;Legion of Merit (3);Bronze Star Medal (3);Meritorious Service Medal (6);Army Commendation Medal (3);Air Assualt Badge;Army Staff Badge;Combat Infantryman's Badge;Expert Infantryman's Badge;Master Parachutist's Badge;Presidential Service Badge;Ranger Tab;and numerous foreign jump wings.

U.S. Army, NATO. Allied Forces Prepare for Defence in Europe. - YouTube - 17 May 2024

NATO Secretary General with the Chief of the German Air Force 🇩🇪, 25 APR 2024

NATO Secretary General visits Olaf Scholz - YouTube - 26 APR 2026 - BTB-concept - Federal Chancellery,Berlin,Germany

Working visit by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.The video shows the entry of the guard battalion's post of honour;arrival and greeting of the guest;and marching out of the post of honour.The demonstrators drew attention to the civil war in Tigray,Northenmost Ethiopia,on the border with Eritreia in Northwest Africa.

Military honours for Georgia's Prime Minister in Berlin - 12 APR 2024

This is the inaugural visit of the new Prime Minister of Georgia,Irakli Kobakhidze,to Chancellor Olaf Scholz.The Staff Music Corps is under the direction of Mrs.Captain Holzschuh.

Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service:Russia Prepares for Prolonged Conflict with Ukraine and Confrontation with the West

Kaupo Rosin is Director General,Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service.The most incisive chapter of the report "International Security and Estonia 2024" by the EFIS is entitled "Adapting Russia's Armed Forces For Prolonged Conflict":The objectives of Russia's military reform reflect the leadership's vision of the resources required for the conflict with Ukraine and prolonged confrontation with the West.Russia's goal is to achieve military dominance in the Baltic Sea Region.For Estonia,Russia's military reform entails a significant increase in Russia's forces near the Estonian border in coming years.Increasing the personnel and adding new units to the armed forces is the primary purpose of Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu's military reform.Russia aims to increase its military personnel from 1.15 million to 1.5 million Soldiers by 2026;restructure 12 land and naval brigades into divisions;and create dozens of new divisions in the land,air and naval forces,as well as in the airborne troops.The formation of many of these units has already begun,but the main challenge is their shortfall of contracted service members and officers,which develop the unit formation process.*Although Russia plans to develop all strategic directions,the highest priority is in the Western strategic direction and Ukraine.The Kremlin is preparing for a prolonged conflict with Ukraine,necessitating additional armies and army corps (3rd and 40th Army Corps,18th Army and 25th Army,for which dozens of new manoeuvre,combat support and combat service units are being formed).*The second priority region is the Finnish direction,where Russia's military posture was minimal until Finland's recent accession to NATO.Russia plans to create the 4th Army Corps,likely based in Petrozavordsk,to address this.This formation will probably be built around at least two or three manoeuvre units,with around a dozen fire support and combat support units.*The growth of Russian military capabilities in the Estonian vacinity,in Leningrad and Pskov districts,primarily results from the potential transformation of existing units into divisions.According to one possible scenario,the personnel strength of Russian land forces and airborne troops in the Estonian direction may nearly double from approximately 19,000 forces from before 24 February 2022 (anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine).The extent to which these units attain combat strength depends on Russia's ability to recruit,train,and retain contracted service members.The success and timeline of Russia's military reform will be largely determined by the course of the war in Ukraine.If Russia manages to implement the reform,NATO could face a Soviet-style mass army in the next decade.This army is likely to be technologically inferior to the NATO Allies' defence forces in most areas,except for electronic warfare and long-range strike capabilities.However,its military potential would be significant,owing to its size,fire-power (including artillery power and inexpensive attack drones),combat experience and reserves.Defending against a possible conventional attack from such an army would require Allied defence forces and defence industries to be significantly more prepared,capable,and better stocked with ammunition than they currently are.*In summary,Russia's plan to increase its military forces is ambitious,especially considering the short timelines and Russia's economic and demographic situation.However,it is also a threat to Europe and NATO,contributing to Russia's aggressive posture,military potential,and growing militarisation reinforcing Russia's apparent path of a long-term confrontation with the West.*Russia is attempting to tilt Moldova back into its orbit by influencing the electoral process of 2024-2025.For its part,Moldova has banned major Russian propaganda channels;shut down numerous local Internet portals disseminating Russia's war propaganda;and decisively resisted political parties directly controlled and funded by Russia.Indeed,in the summer of 2023,Moldovan authorities expelled most Russian Embassy diplomats,after identifying some of them as intelligence operatives.*According to the Financial Times news outlet,the NATO Joint Support and Enabling Command in Ulm,South Germany is devising plans for how NATO forces will deploy across Europe and be sustained and reinforced in the event of a war with Russia.In this process,lessons learned from the ongoing Steadfast Defender 24 exercise,which simulates a large-scale conflcit with an adversary from the East,will be utilised.The scenario for the drills is a Russian attack on Alliance territory.*Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsakhna said NATO may only have three-four years before the Kremlin mounts a test for NATO:But we must understand the Russian war machine has started in the full scale,the capabilities for the production and the mentality as well,because Putin is controlling everything now.*For his part,German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius warns the test could come in the next decade,in five-eight years.

US Army, NATO. M777 howitzers during airborne operations in Germany.

Lockheed Martin makes the C-130J Super Hercules,the US Army's most commonly used variant of the aircraft.*Lockheed Martin (LMT)

Battle Management:USAF,NATO Select Boeing E-7A Wedgetail

The US Air Force and NATO have selected as a nextgen Command and Control aircraft the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail.NATO has ordered six of the aircraft,with Initial Operational Capability (IOC) expected by 2031.A consortium of NATO Allies approved of the massive project this month.Said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg:By pooling resources,Allies can buy and operate major assets collectively that would be too expensive for individual countries to purchase.This investment in state-of-the-art technology shows the strength of transatlantic defence cooperation as we continue to adapt to a more unstable world.*The E-7A is an advanced Early Warning and Control aircraft that provides both situational awareness and control functions.Its powerful radar can detect hostile aircraft,missiles and ships at great distances and can direct NATO fighter jets to their targets.Australia,The Republic of Korea,Turkiye,the US and the UK either are flying the Wedgetail now or are planning to operate it.The Wedgetail is based on a militarised Boeing 737 airliner.Each country has a different name for the Wedgetail,so this blog is using the Australian designation for convenience.*The Wedgetail was originally developed for the Royal Australian Air Force.*The NATO E-7A is to have its main base at Geilenkirchen Air Base,Germany.It can also operate from several forward locations across Europe.The E-7A uses the Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA).This radar is located in a dorsal fin on top of the fuselage,or "top hat".It can simultaneously search air and sea,while also conducting fighter control.The array has a maximum range of 600 km/372.8 mi in look-up mode.It also doubles as an Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) array,with a maximum range of 850 km/528.1 mi at 9,000 m/30,000 ft altitude.Radar signal processing and central computer are installed directly beneath the antenna array.Defensive countermeasures are mounted on the nose,wingtips and tail.The cabin has eight operator consoles with space for four more.*On 21 April 2022,the US Air Force announced the E-7A would replace the E-3 Sentry AWACS,saying it was the only platform capable of meeting the Department of Defense requirements for tactical battle management,Command and Control,and moving target indicator capabilties within the time frame needed.Two new US-specific variants of the E-7A are planned,with a final production decision for a total fleet of 26 aircraft planned for 2025.The first USAF E-7A is to enter service in 2027.The E-7A has a cruise speed of 853 kmh/530 mph;a range of 6500 km/4,000 mi/3500 nmi;and a service ceiling of 12,500 m/41,000 ft.* Boeing (BA),Northrop Grumman (NOC)

US Army, NATO. Powerful M270 MLRS Missile Systems during Combat Exercises in Germany

US Army, NATO. M1A2 Abrams tanks during a tactical road march in Germany.

US block on additional Ukraine funding "will get sorted out", ambassador tells DW

US Army, NATO. Soldiers of the 173rd Brigade during combat exercises in Germany

This is the 173rd Airborne Brigade,a US Army Airborne Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) out of Vicenza,Italy.It is the strategic response force of U.S. European Command (EUCOM).

US Army, NATO. Special Forces "Green Berets" train with allies in Europe.

Note:Bosnia and Herzegovina received a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) in 2018,but has yet to meet the conditions of it.It remains a NATO Partner.

Boeing and CAE to Enhance P-8 Training Solutions - Avionics International

Boeing and CAE to Enhance P-8 Training Solutions - Avionics International: Boeing and CAE signed teaming agreements to expand multi-mission platform collaboration for the P-8 Poseidon program in Canada, Norway, & Germany. Boeing (BA),CAE Inc (CAE)

Dynamic Front 23:Drills Prepare NATO Artillery for Crisis or Conflict

The Allied Rapid Reaction Corps announced that,working to the US Army 56th Artillery Command,it will be conducting Exercise Dynamic Front 23 from 13-31 March 2023 at Oksbol,Denmark,with concurrent drills for other formations at Grafenwoehr Training Area,Germany.More than 1700 military personnel from 18 NATO Allies and Partners will participate,including:Bulgaria,Czech Republic,Denmark,France,Greece,Georgia,Germany,Italy,Kosovo,Lithuania,Poland,Romania,Slovakia,Spain,Turkiye and the US.Dynamic Front will launch a training mission of synchronised command and fires planning,manoeuvring through a complex landscape of assembly area operations,artillery acumen,and live firing drills.The objective is to ensure that NATO forces are equipped with the capability to execute lethal fire support in wide-area ground combat across Europe.Said 56th Artillery Command commanding general Major General Stephan Maranian,US Army:With 18 nations participating,it will include artillery,air and naval gunfire with participants arrayed from Denmark in the north to Romania in the south.This year's exercise will extend our logisitics chains and exercise our communications systems,collectively demonstrating that our Alliance stands ready for any challenge,anywhere,at any time.* Promoting understanding,collaboration and interoperability,Dynamic Front 23 contributes significantly to regional stability and security by improving the ability of Alliance forces to operate effectively together in times of crisis or conflict,ARRC Public Affairs explained.* Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (HQ ARRC) provides NATO with a rapidly deployable,flexible HQ that can act as a Joint,Land or Corps HQ for operations or crisis response.Its multinational ethos,combination of cultures and innovation,strong professional reputation in NATO and proven track record in interoperability are unique among its High Readiness Force (Land) HRF(L) peers.HQ ARRC grew out of its antecedant,1st (British) Corps.Today it is based at Imjin Barracks,Gloucester,UK,and is the UK's largest deployable Land HQ.Unlike other HRF(L)s,it falls under the direct Operational Command of Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) during peacetime.About 60% of HQ ARRC's staff is drawn from the framework nation,the United Kingdom,but the organisation is fully multinational in nature and organisation,with 21 NATO and Partner Nations contributing personnel.HQ ARRC is prepared to deploy as a Corps HQ;a Land Component HQ;or a Theatre-level Joint Task Force HQ in order to meet NATO,EU,national or multinational requirements.Commander of HQ ARRC is Lieutenant General Nicholas R M Borton,British Army,DSO,MBE.* HQ ARRC is supported by 1st (UK) Signal Brigade's ARRC Support Battalion,providing a bespoke and resilient staff working environment,which can be deployed anywhere in the world at short notice to allow the ARRL to carry out its command role in any type of conflict.

NATO'S Artillery Drills of the Year:Dynamic Front 22

NATO Exercise Dynamic Front 22 has run from 6-24 July 2022 at the Grafenwoehr Training Area,Germany.Participting in the premier artillery drills were some 3,000 troops from 19 Allied and Partner nations:Bulgaria,Czech Republic,Estonia,Finland,France,Germany,Georgia,Greece,Italy,Kosovo,Poland,Romania,Slovakia,Slovenia,Spain,Turkey,the UK and the US.DF 22 aimed to improve NATO Allies' and Partners' ability to execute multi-echelon fires,as well as tests interoperability of both tactical and theatre-level fires in a live environment.It was led by the US Army's 56th Artillery Command and directed by U.S. Army Europe and Africa.* DF 22 was based on Artillery Systems Cooperation Activities (ASCA) software.The software creates one consistent line of communication digitally,linking artillery Command and Control systems in real time,nullifying language and speeding up signals.The exercise allows for controlled access throughout NATO'S operations systems,thus unifying and strengthening the joint force.Working together,the Allies and Partners display their capabilities in multi-echelon fires,deploying together,connecting on the same network and communicating with the same software as they develop solutions for strategic and tactical fires interoperability.ASCA takes fires data from one Ally and translates between the different Allied fires systems.In DF 22,Allies processed fires missions from a NATO Corps down to the tactical level.Connected fires contribute to the ability to deter any threat to NATO.ASCA enables delivering massed fires onto a given location.* German Bundeswehr Soldiers of Artillerie Bataillon 131 used Panzer 2000 self-propelled howitzers.To fire them,they dismounted from the tracked vehicles and pulled a lanyard to discharge the ammunition.Finnish troops participated mainly in an observer capacity,gathering information as to how they might contribute to further iterations of Dynamic Front.

New US Military Deployments to Europe Bolster NATO'S Force Posture

In light of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine,including several war crimes,NATO called for a robust response from NATO Allies.The Pentagon has answered the call by bringing US troop strength in Europe first up to 100,000.Now it will commit even more forces to the mission of deterring Russian aggression in Europe.The exact number of troops hasn't been released yet,but the list of new deployments is substantial.These include the following: in Poland,the U.S. Army is establishing a permanent Headquarters Command Post for U.S. Army V Corps,an Army Garrison Headquarters,and a Field Support Battalion.This will facilitate Command and Control of U.S. Forces in the Eastern Flank of NATO; in Romania,a new Brigade Combat Team of 3,000 Infantry and 2,000 Support Troops will be rotationally deployed; in the Baltic Sea Region,there will be increased rotational deployments of armoured,air defence,and Special Operations Forces; in Rota,Spain,the number of homeported Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers is being increased from four to six; in the UK,two new F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Squadrons are being forward deployed; in Germany,there will be new forward deployments of an Air-Defence Artillery Brigade Headquarters;a Short Range Air-Defence Battalion,a Combat Sustainment Support Battalion Headquarters;and an Engineer Brigade Headquarters; in Italy,there will be a new forward deployed Short Range Air-Defence Battalion.* Additionally,NATO announced it is transforming the NATO Response Force by increasing ready forces from 40,000 to over 300,000 troops on alert for short notice deployment from their home countries.As well,the Enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroups are being scaled up from Battalion size (300-1,000 troops) up to Brigade size (3,000-5,000 troops).New eFP Battlegroups are to be located in Hungary,Slovakia,Romania and Bulgaria,joining the current Battlegroups in Latvia,Lithuania,Estonia and Poland.*

Airborne U.S. Army arrive in Europe and military equipment in Ukraine.

US Army Europe Leads Simulated Warfighting:Combined Resolve XVI Forms NATO Allies and Partners

Some 4600 troops from Bulgaria;Georgia;Greece;Italy;Lithuania;Poland;Serbia;Slovenia;Ukraine;the UK and the US are currently staging combat drills in snowy Bavaria,Germany's Hohenfels Training Area.The exercise is to evaluate and assess the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team,1st Infantry Division's ability to conduct multinational operations in a multi-domain simulated battlespace.The drills began 17 November 2021 and run till 20 December.They are large-scale operations in a dynamic environment geared at achieving interoperability with unified Allies and Partners.The ultimate goal is to affirm that,together,they will be victorious in any conflict. The multinational counterparts are testing their skills across all warfighting functions,thus creating a more lethal coalition.According to Major General Adam Joks,Deputy Commanding General-Interoperabilty V Corps: By conducting combined operations with our Allies,our Soldiers learn how to work together effectively to achieve tactical objectives...integrating systems,procedures and building lasting relationships with our Allies.* Units based in the US are brought to Europe for nine months at a time in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve,a response to Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2014.This creates a unified front which serves to deter aggression in the region.CBR XVI represents US commitment to a free,democratic,safe and secure Europe by maintaining readiness to dominate large-scale operations in the European theatre.* A tactical operations centre was set up to support brigade leadership during the combined arms operations in the complex battlespace.Procedures for Command and Control across multinational formations,such as the Bulgarian Land Forces and their BTR-60 armoured personnel carriers,during the field portion of the exercise.*

Operation Allies Refuge:Airport Firefight Erupts With Unknown Assailants

On 23 August 2021,a firefight with unknown assailants broke out at the German gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.One Afghan guard was killed and three others wounded.There are about 600 former members of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces now serving as guards at the airport.German and US troops also took part in the hostilities,but sustained no casualties.It is possible the assailants were members of ISIL-K,the Afghanistan branch of Islamic State,as the US has warned of an IS threat to the airport over recent days. On 22 August,US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that: the threat is real,accute and persistent...We are working hard with our Intelligence Community to isolate,to determine where such an attack might come from.* Indeed,US President Joseph R. Biden said from the Roosevelt Room at the White House yesterday: I'm not going to talk about the tactical changes that we're making to keep the airport as secure as we can.I don't want to get into the details.We've changed the gate operations and a whole range of things.* The Taliban have agreed to having a larger safety zone around HKIA.* On 20 August,Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby,US Navy retired,noted that: Al-Qaida is a presence as well as ISIS (another name for Islamic Stae).We believe there isn't a presence of al-Qaida significant enough to pose a threat to the homeland.Obviously,we're going to maitain an overwatch capability.We do believe we'll be able to maintain a warning sufficient for counterterrorism. The secretary's not going to rule anything in out in order to get done what we have to do there.Now we've built up extra capacity in the past few days,the secretary feels we can accomplish the mission...We have flown in additiobal forces,so if there would be a need,we would examine those options and offer up options to the secretary.Every decision that has to be made has to weigh the risks and the benefits.If the secretary were to make a major muscle movement,he would want to ask the White House.* There have been reports of US helicopters flying out of the airport to pick up people from multiple locations,but Mr.Kirby said: I cannot confirm those reports.* According to CNN Senior International Correspondent Sam Kiley,the US is using secret methods to bring people into the airport.Reportedly,sensitive operations may be underway to rescue key individuals.President Biden had revealed yesterday that we have evacuated nearly 28,000 people since 14 August.*