25 May 2004

Exercise Allied Action 04 A NATO deployable Joint Task Force Headquarters activated for the first time to exercise NATO Response Force Operations NAPLES, ITALY- NATO will test for the first time the activation of a Deployed Joint Task Force (DJTF) Headquarters during exercise Allied Action 04 (AA 04) which will take place from 25 May to 08 June 2004 in Persano and Civitavecchia, Italy. AA 04 is a Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) Command Post Exercise (cpx) designed to certify the joint force command naples headquarters, and its component commands to assume responsibility of the nato response force (nrf) rotation july 2004 – june 2005 and to validate its cjtf capability. The exercise will include the actual deployment of a djtf headquarters at persano, italy and of a nrf headquarters at civitavecchia, italy. The latter will be provided by the nato rapid deployable corps of solbiate olona, italy which is the designated land component command for the next nrf rotation. Over 2600 personnel from 35 NATO Partner nations will participate in the exercise: Twenty-three NATO Member nations: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Twelve Partner nations: Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Croatia, Finland, Georgia, Ireland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia(1) , Moldova, Switzerland and Ukraine. NATO HQs participating in the exercise are: Allied Command Operations, Allied Command Transformation (including the Joint Warfare Centre and the Joint Analysis and Lessons Learned Centre), Allied Forces South, AIRSOUTH, NAVSOUTH, the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps Italy, the UK Maritime Forces (UKMARFOR) Allied Forces North and Joint Headquarters West. The participants will practise the procedures for planning and mounting an operation based on the NRF and CJTF concepts. Specifically, AA 04 practises the rapid deployment of a Deployable Joint Task Force HQ, and the procedures for establishing a land-based CJTF HQ in a theatre to conduct a NATO-led crisis response operation under Chapter VII of the UN Charter beyond NATO’s area of responsibility. AA 04 is a unique exercise offering the participants the opportunity to practise the activation and deployment of NRF to prepare for the conduct of a follow-on CJTF operation. It provides the vehicle for validation of Joint Force Command Naples Headquarters as a “trained” land based CJTF HQ, by exercising and evaluating the required ‘reach-back’ capability of the Joint Force Command and its components. It exercises participants in the supported/supporting roles, mutual support procedures and co-operation at all levels. Last but not least it promotes interoperability between NATO and Partner nations. AA 04 is an important step in the implementation process of the NRF/CJTF concepts, which will provide the Alliance with standing, credible, robust, high readiness, fully trained and certified forces to meet the threats and challenges of the 21st century. Additional information about Joint Force Command Naples and the exercise can be found at the Internet page http://www.afsouth.nato.int. Information about NRDC-IT can be found at http://www.nato.int/nrdc-it/ Information about the NRF is available at http://www.nato.int/issues/nrf/index.htm . Note for the editor: During the exercise two Press Information Centres (PICs) will be based at Persano and Civitavecchia, Italy. Media questions prior to the start of the exercise should be addressed to the Public Information Office of Joint Force Command Naples, Media Section; viale della Liberazione s/n, 80124 Naples, Italy; Telephone (+39) 081 721 2437 or 2320; Fax (+39) 081 230 2767. Email afspio@afsouth.nato.int. 1. Turkey recognises the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name.