ARRC NEWS
THE FIRST NATO LAND TACTICAL PLANNING COURSE ( NLTPC ) EXECUTED !
Lieutenant Colonel Verbaten
The G5 Plans team of Allied Rapid Reaction Corps ( ARRC ) succeeded in delivering the first official NLTPC at the Swedish Armed Forces International Centre ( SWEDINT ).
Thirty-seven students , ranks ranging from Captain to Brigadier and from across NATO and the enhanced partnership countries ( including the new Swedish Division Commander ) participated in the course . Over a two-week period , a small team of plans officers from HQ ARRC delivered the course , a mix of theoretical lectures and syndicate work . The scenario was built around Exercise DEFENDER 22 . The course itself was built on a set of training objectives that we used for the internal HQ training during our recent warfighting evaluation and the Allied Centre Transformation ( ACT ) curriculum as this is a NATO-accredited course . It was identified early that to enhance the learning experience , the students should have some real-world stressors introduced , such as briefing visiting distinguished officers or using available experts to stress test their plans where possible .
The G5 team broke the course down into two five-day blocks that each culminated with a back brief to a “ commander .” The first week was focused on where NATO ’ s planning process came from ( i . e ., how does our organisational structure affect our process selection ) how the planning process is a pan-headquarters process ( Branch contributions ) and the first phase of the planning process ( Mission and Factor Analysis ) and culminated in a Mission Analysis Brief . This week gave context to the planning process and the scenario and allowed the student syndicates to develop their understanding of the scenario and what they ’ d been asked to do .
The second week was about how a planning team develops , assesses , and validates their Courses of Action ( COAs ). The week ’ s activities walked the syndicates through several serials that culminated in a COA Decision Brief ( COA-DB ). The COA-DB was delivered to Commander ARRC . After the briefing , COM ARRC gave feedback to the students , assessing whether it was a viable course of action or if it needed revisiting .
Fire side chats
Keen to mix the practical with the conceptual , SWEDINT organised for a couple of discussions and fireside chats in the Lifeguards ’ Mess . The first was delivered by a serving Swedish Army General Officer , Brigadier General Pär Blid , who talked about his fascinating time as a participant on the Russia General Staff Officers course in 2000-2 , and about the current activities of Russian Tactics in Ukraine . Commander ARRC , Lieutenant General Nicholas Borton , also visited the course . After dinner with the Army Commander of the Swedish Forces , he gave the students an inside view on what a commander needs in his decision-making cycle , and how best to support your formation commander .
Pilot course
As this was the first official course , the team took the feedback given from the pilot last year . The main adjustments were a new scenario , condensed lectures , and more time for the student to digest the given information . The feedback given by the students this year will be implemented in the next course . This year ’ s course was delivered by the instructors at an overall satisfaction score of more than 90 % out of 100 %, so if I may say a welldelivered course !
Gap
In my opinion , the course offers a great opportunity to learn how planning should be conducted at higher tactical level in concert with NATO doctrine ( APP28 ) with a little flavour of ARRC doctrine . This planning course fills the gap between the operational level and the higher tactical level , and is therefore very suitable for LCC , Corps and Divisional level planning .
Future
ARRC has received a request to deliver two courses for 2023 . Due to the full programme and the preparation of NRF24 we must see if this is possible . For now , the next course is planned for 10-21 July 23 .
Benefits
Looking back at the first NLTPC , in my opinion we delivered a wellappreciated new planning course within the NATO environment , which filled the gap in higher tactical planning education . The benefit for the ARRC-team is that they had the opportunity to exchange information with various students , they could learn from the students ’ experiences in their HQs and that they could build their relationships within the NATO environment .
14 WINTER 2022-23 the imjin