Operation Stavanger: Standing Up a Deployable Joint Headquarters for the NATO Response Force

摘要

In October, 2003, the North Atlantic Council set up the NATO Response Force. When fully operational, the force will consist of 22,000 to 24,000 personnel from all services deployable within five days of alert and able to conduct 'stand-alone' operations for 30 days. A deployable joint task force (DJTF) headquarters of approximately 90 personnel, commanded by a one or two star, will exercise operational-level command and control, and plan, coordinate and conduct effects-based operations. This report discusses challenges encountered while simultaneously working through two systems and organizational engineering and design problems to stand up the DJTF headquarters: (1) transforming a traditional J-staff headquarters into a deployable joint headquarters capable of planning and assessing effects-based operations, and (2) puffing effects-based operations concepts and theory into practice. The report begins with an overview of the new NATO Response Force concept, capabilities and missions, and NRF command and control (C2) relationships. Next, the report discusses the application of effects-based operations theory to the new headquarters during a deployment exercise to Stavanger, Norway. Observations and lessons learned from initial steps taken to stand up NATO's first deployable, operational-level, joint task force headquarters at Joint Forces Command Naples are provided. We conclude with the way ahead.