Eng. / Fr. / Ru. /NATO is training and mentoring middle and senior level personnel from the Iraqi security forces in Iraq and outside of Iraq, at NATO schools and training centres. The Alliance also plays a role in co-ordinating offers of equipment and training from individual NATO and partner countries.
The NATO training effort currently focuses on mid-and-senior level Iraqi officers.
It aims to help the Iraqi security forces develop an officer corps trained in modern military leadership skills, as well as to inculcate the values appropriate to democratically-controlled armed forces.
Since the beginning of the mission in 2004 and as of December 2006, the NATO mission has trained over 4 000 officers in country, as well as 934 in NATO and national facilities.
In addition, the Alliance is helping to coordinate training, equipment and technical assistance provided by NATO nations on a bilateral basis, both inside and outside of Iraq, to ensure that the Allies complement each other.
This work is carried out by the NATO Training and Equipment Coordination Group, established at NATO Headquarters on 8 October 2004.
Since the beginning of the mission, NATO has delivered military equipment worth some EUR€ 110 million, including ammunition, helmets and body armour, light vehicles, 36 BMP-1 armoured infantry fighting vehicles and 77 Hungarian T-72 main battle tanks, to Iraq.
The main activities of the NATO Training Mission-Iraq are:
The National Defence University:
NATO has set up the National Defence University, based in the International Zone at the Cultural Centre Building, Baghdad.
The North Atlantic Council agreed to support the establishment of this centre on 22 September 2004 and it was officially opened by NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, and Prime Minister Al-Jafaari on 27 September 2005.
The NDU is composed of three main entities:
In response to a second request by Iraqi authorities in December 2005, NATO agreed to develop the professional education programmes for the Basic Officer Commissioning Course (BOCC) and the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) Course.
Over an estimated two years, the NDU will gradually become autonomous and Iraqi staff will eventually take leadership of these courses.
The NATO Training and Equipment Coordination Group
This group was established at NATO HQ on 8 October 2004. It works with a similar centre based in Baghdad to coordinate the requirements of the Iraqi government for training and equipment that is offered by NATO as a whole or by individual NATO member countries.
NATO training outside of Iraq
Training is also conducted outside Iraq in NATO schools and training centres throughout NATO member countries. In order to allow an increasing number of Iraqi personnel to take part in specialised training outside of Iraq, a language institute was opened in February 2006, with the support of NATO.
This Defence Language Institute in Baghdad is teaching civilian and military officials English. It is attached to the National Defence University. NATO played a key role in its establishment by advising on the course curriculum and assisting in the acquisition of its facilities, computers and furniture.
