MAGAZINE
SPRING 2020
By Lieutenant Colonel Ivo STOEV , Bulgarian Army , LANDCOM G7
CREVAL :
AFS Vol VII revision :
What ’ s new , and what does it
mean to you ?
T he Fall 2019 edition of Landpower Magazine introduced the concept
of the ‘ New Approach ’ to Combat Readiness Evaluation , outlining the changes coming to the CREVAL process . Those changes are now codified as the revised version of Allied Command Operations Force Standards ( AFS ) Volume VII , recently made NATO Official on January 20 , 2020 . The revision of this document necessitates a change in approach , and will require many seasoned evaluators to adapt the way they conduct future CREVALs . This article sets out to not only provide an understanding of what is new , but also provide the reader with a deeper understanding of the rationale behind these significant changes .
Why Change ? Over the past two decades , there has been a significant shift in the geo-political situation in which NATO and its member nations find themselves . The prevalence of instability , long-term competition and strategic shocks , coupled with the unprecedented pace of technological advancements has necessitated NATO ’ s emphasis on a return to Collective Defence . This shift also recognises the interrelated nature of many security challenges , and NATO has identified that it also has a responsibility to project stability and foster cooperative security in order to deal with regional crises at the source . A major consequence of this realignment is not only the recognition that NATO forces must be more prepared than ever , but to also be prepared to evolve continuously , ensuring they are keeping pace with strategic and technological innovations . These rapidly evolving threats require forces to be credible , networked , innovative , agile , and resilient . The emphasis on enabling ‘ Readiness ’ of declared forces and their capabilities , coupled with identifying shortfalls and areas for improvement , has required a shift in the methodology that underpins the CREVAL process . The new AFS Vol VII has undergone significant changes to provide a tool that assures capabilities and readiness , whilst also providing commanders with the building blocks of a training programme to address areas for continuous improvement .
Assuring Readiness : The Doctrine Part A significant initial step is to take into consideration what readiness , evaluation , and the AFS are and their important linkages to CREVAL . The term readiness is rather subjective , although it can best be defined as : Readiness - Having the right capabilities and forces that are trained , interoperable , and deployable and maintained in the right operational structures and groupings and at an appropriate NTM . ( Framework for Future Alliance Operations 2018 ) The AFS are a set of documents which detail in practical terms what military capabilities provided by Allies in support of NATO missions and tasks are required to do ,
10