MAGAZINE
2022 spurring further planning and research into these areas in anticipation of future NATO crisis situations .
With upcoming editions of CORE exercise series concerning the Central European Pipeline System , benefits exist for Allied Land Command to produce a Ground Liaison Element for such an exercise , allowing for further understanding of the energy security situation , and potential impacts any such NATO crisis regarding energy might have on the overall land domain .
3 . Enhanced Military Co-operation Regarding Energy Security Stemming from the mentioned CORE exercises above , recognition of Ukraine ’ s pivotal role to play in the energy security domain is apparent , as two separate iterations of the CORE exercises have revolved around Ukraine specifically in 2017 and 2020 . The most recent iteration , Exercise Coherent Resilience 2020 , was held in Odessa in October 2020 , using algorithms of critical situations concerning energy security in the Black Sea region . Overall , more than 200 experts took part in the exercise , including representatives from more than 20 agencies from the host nation , and various Alliance entities such as the ENSECCOE , the Cyber Security COE , the Maritime Security COE , and the NATO delegation in Ukraine .
Understanding that the Black Sea region and the Baltic States are those most vulnerable at this time to energy security issues within NATO , it becomes of primordial importance that enhanced military cooperation take place with these partners , already embodied by Allied Land Command through various staff talks in partner states such as Ukraine and Georgia . Through the joint ventures of addressing these critical issues together , entities within the NATO Command Structure gain experience from partner nations that have already faced such crises . This information osmosis can even transpire through already established partnerships such as the Partnership for Peace initiative as well as the already LANDCOM popular Operational Capabilities and Concepts program that sees evaluation of partner nation units . Moving forward , further outreach to these partners and refinement of operational capabilities through the leveraging of such organizations and nations will only bolster Allied Land Command ’ s ability to work as an LCC facing hybrid threats . This includes through continued staff talks with various partner nations , continued support through programs such as the OCC . Moreover , ongoing
information exchanges and TTXs with entities such as the Energy Security Centre of Excellence will only bolster the headquarters ’ capabilities in the domain , while also enhancing the partnership among entities both within the NATO Command and NATO Force Structures . CONCLUSION
In the 2020 Heritage Foundation report entitled NATO in the 21st Century : Preparing for the Challenges of Today and Tomorrow , Coffey and Kochis underlined that “ since its inception , NATO has done more than any other multilateral organization to promote democracy , peace , and security in Europe and the broader transatlantic community with benefits that have rippled through the broader global community ”. Accordingly , it is unquestionable that NATO has time and again recognized the nature of the issues before the Alliance , oriented itself into a position to address them , and acted in ways that have benefited Europe towards achieving collective defence and cooperative security .
Ironically , although Coffey and Kochis underlined NATO ’ s successes , they also emphasize in their report that “ ensuring NATO can face the challenges of the 21st century while safeguarding and vitalizing collective defense – the heart of the Alliance – is the charge of the upcoming reflection period .” This undoubtedly relates to energy security as the EU stares down a significant rise in energy costs related to a reliance on outside energy sources . In anticipation of future potential conflicts related to energy , and potentially aggravated by climate change , it is clear that NATO must continue to enhance its energy security posture & understanding . Accordingly , the Alliance will remain ready for energy security challenges within an increasingly complex environment adversely affected by outside actors and climate change alike .
LC
18 . - Energy Security Centre of Excellence , “ TTX Coherent Resilience 2021 ”, accessed 15 January 2022 , https :// enseccoe . org / en / events-and-projects / 268 / table-top-exercise-coherent-resilience-2021-33 / details .
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19 . - Luke Coffey & Daniel Kochis , “ NATO in the 21st Century : Preparing the Alliance for Challenges of Today and Tomorrow ”, The Heritage Foundation . 10 August 2020 , accessed 31 January 2022 , https :// www . heritage . org / defense / report / nato-the-21st-century-preparing-the-alliance-the-challenges-todayand-tomorrow
20 . - Ibid