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MAGAZINE
SPRING 2020
The NATO Response Force ( NRF ) is a highly ready and technologically advanced multinational force made up of land , air , maritime and Special Forces components that the Alliance can deploy quickly to wherever it is needed . Its mission is to provide a rapid demonstration of force and the early establishment of NATO military presence in support of an Article V or Crisis Response Operation and to be a catalyst for transformation of capabilities in the Alliance .
French Army Lieutenant General Laurent Kolodziej , Eurocorps Commander , affirmed the readiness of his Corps Headquarters .
“ Eurocorps , an outfit formed by 10 nations , is aided in its mission by its multinational scope and extensive experience gained in just about every major operation under NATO or European Union command ,” said Lieutenant General Kolodziej via a press statement . Assumption of the NRF mission means Eurocorps could potentially lead up to 65,000 ground troops in high-intensity warfare , he said .
LANDCOM declared Eurocorps ready for the NRF following completion of the final phases of their rigorous Combat Readiness Evaluation ( CREVAL ) during Exercise Trident Jupiter 19 in November at the NATO Joint Warfare Centre in Stavanger , Norway . LANDCOM , as NATO ’ s advocate for land domain expertise , is responsible for enabling land domain readiness , interoperability , standardization , and competency across Allied land forces .
The NRF was established in 2002 to provide the Alliance with an immediate and credible response capability for the range of military operations . Though it has evolved over the past 17 years , readiness remains at its core . The decision to use the NRF requires political consensus taken on a case-by-case basis by the North Atlantic Council .
In pre-ceremony briefings to Eurocorps , 1GNC Commander , German Army Lieutenant General Alfons Mais , reflected on the responsibility that comes as the NATO stand-by land component .
“ When you take over this mission you look at the daily news differently ,” he said . He expanded by stating people can simply look at what ’ s happening in the world right now to understand the gravity of this critical NATO mission .
Lieutenant General Thomson emphasized the importance of readiness for NATO forces in collective defence .
“ History teaches us that weakness invites aggression . Given today ’ s threats in an era of great power competition , it is incumbent on land forces to be ready and strong ,” he said . The Eurocorps Commander recognized his Corps ’ importance to NATO and the defence of Europe as a whole . LC
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We … stand as a reminder of the mutual complementary nature of NATO and European defence , in the best sense of the term .”
Launched in 2002 , the NATO Response Force ( NRF ) is a highly ready and technologically advanced , multinational force made up of land , air , maritime and Special Operations Forces ( SOF ) components that the Alliance can deploy quickly , wherever needed and to react in a very short time to the full range of security challenges from crisis management to collective defense .
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