Stavanger, December 5, 2024. The execution phase of the “Steadfast Dagger 2024” concluded in Stavanger, Norway, at NATO's Joint Warfare Centre (JWC). The exercise aimed to test the capabilities of the “Vittorio Veneto Division” and the Turkish Joint Air Force Command to use NATO command and control procedures. The ARF is capable of rapidly deploying into a potential crisis scenario and coordinating the operations of subordinate components in a multi-domain context (land, maritime, air, space, and cyber).
During the exercise, NRDC-ITA, as the ARF HQ, planned and conducted military operations in a fictional and complex non-Article 5 crisis scenario. It worked in close coordination with local institutions and consolidated command and control procedures with subordinate components, including the Joint Logistic Support Group (JLSG), CBRN Task Force, Special Operations Component Command (SOCC), Maritime Component Command, Air Component Command, Cyber Component Command, and Space Component Command, employing a clear multinational, joint, and multi-domain approach.
More than 700 military personnel were involved, including multinational forces from several contributing nations, in many locations across Europe. This demonstrated the synergy of employing personnel from the Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, and Carabinieri), with participation from other NATO entities, in line with the strategic guidelines issued for the Alliance operations.
In particular, the participants focused on the effectiveness of interaction between tactical, operational, and strategic levels through responses to multiple activations across all domains. This helped enhance the procedure development and the specific knowledge needed for an effective crisis response in close coordination with the host nation’s institutions.
The exercise addressed several key issues, including the analysis of strategic challenges related to the development of communication campaigns aimed at countering propaganda from opposing forces that could damage the ARF’s image and operations. Other focal points included the response to Radiological Disposal Device (RDD) threats, cyberattacks, firefights, anti-piracy operations, protection of civilians in the area of operations, safeguarding cultural heritage, and air operations.
The multinational staff thus provided crucial support to the recent transformation policies of the Alliance, acting as a precursor in promoting and adopting innovative Command and Control solutions and procedures, testing their effectiveness in such complex scenario.
The ARF is a central component of the new NATO Force Model, supporting the concepts of "Deterrence" and "Defense" of the Euro-Atlantic area (DDA), which was specifically designed to complement NATO’s Regional Plans agreed upon by all Allies at the Vilnius summit.