Centre′s Participation in ACT Online Conference
Date: (19-02-2021)
The NATO’s Centres of Excellence, coordinated by Allied Command Transformation, are providing vital support to NATO missions and operations during the pandemic, while also collecting all relevant data for future post pandemic analysis. Hence the CMDR COE joined the on-line conference with the Allied Commander Transformation (ACT), Centre of Excellence Defense Against Terrorism, Ankara (COE-DAT). It was conducted on 18 February 2021 as the ACT is looking at ways to improve logistics management, pandemic analysis and Information Environment Assessment capabilities of NATO.
General Paolo Ruggiero, the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, pointed out that responding to the COVID-19 pandemic is the main challenge for the Alliance. The challenge that required innovative solutions to support the decision-making of military leaders; deliver logistics and supplies to isolated individuals and teams; identify false information and mitigate its effects on NATO operations. Allied Command Transformation is drawing upon a vast network of military and civilian professionals from Centres of Excellence, nations, scientists, medical professionals and military experts to position the Alliance during this pandemic. The focus of Command work is to innovate solutions to warfare development, coordinate work with Centres of Excellence and analyze NATO’s posture with recommendations for necessary adjustments.
Rear Adm. John Tammen who is currently serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Policies (DCOS SPP) at NATO Headquarters, Supreme Allied Command Transformation in Norfolk, VA expressed his gratitude about COEs work on the development of a COVID 19 Lessons effort that informs how the Alliance could respond in the future.
Colonel Orlin Nikolov has annualized the CMDR COE’s contribution to improve logistics management in NATO environment by the iHELP which is a Logistic Planning Tool built to provide logistic planning support and augmentation. During the 2020 many activities were carried out on this project - limited tests, proposals, recommendations, and assistance of the manufacturer. The limited tests were performed in a very productive way because of good cooperation and every attendee’s efforts. The collected data was enough to assess the project development stage, capabilities, and functionality, based mainly on the CMDR COE’s needs and requirements. The project was completed at the end of 2020.
Additionally, Colonel Nikolov sated that CMDR COE has provided COVID-19 Status Report on a monthly basis. In a result of the collaboration between the CMDR COE, NATO HQ, and NCSCM, the Centre has developed a plan for 2021 that outlines the main areas of support for NCSCM's work in crisis planning and decision-making, including the participation of Jordanian trainees in events organized or co-organized by CMDR COE, provision of MTTs, training seminars for instructors, etc.
News
The Final Planning Conference of the exercise Saber Guardian 14 was held in Sofia last week (3-7 Feb 2014). The CMDR COE experts headed by LtC Orlin Nikolov, head of Capabilities Branch, participated in the workshops of the Contingency Management Planning/Unified Action (CPM/UA) syndicate.
On February 5, 2015, the CPM/UA members met with representatives of several GOs and NGOs. The meeting was arranged by the CMDR COE and co-hosted with the J9 USEUCOM as there were entities as Bulgarian Ministry of Interior, Chief Directorate Fire Safety and Civil Protection, State Agency of National Security, State Agency for Refugees, Bulgarian Academy of Science, Military Medical Academy, Red Cross, Caritas Bulgaria, Gender Research Foundation, Tennessee National Guard, Bulgarian Modeling and Simulation Association (BULSIM). The purpose of the meeting was to present them the scenario and storyline of their engagement into the exercise.
» read moreThe initial planning conference for the distributed computer assisted exercise South Eastern Europe Simulation Network (SEESIM 14) was held in Zagreb, Croatia. The Republic of Bulgaria is co-organizer and participates actively in the conducting of the exercise together with the Host Nation. Among the participants are also representatives of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, Romania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United States of America and the SEEBRIG.
The exercise is held under the auspices of the Ministers of Defence of the SEE Nations.
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- In 3-7 of February experts from the CMDR COE team will take part in the Final Planning Conference of the SABER GUARDIAN ′14 Exercise, organized by the US EUCOM and BGR LANDFORCE.
The purpose of the exercise is to train and educate civilian and military participants in planning and conducting an UN mandated Chapter VII Peace Operation/Crisis Response Operation, based on a Comprehensive Approach, and focusing on co-operation and co-ordination within an unstable environment, involving all stakeholders. The principal exercise focus is the civilian-military cooperation and coordination. The scenario supports exercising a wide range of peace operations functions (e.g. rule of law, humanitarian, etc.). The CMDR COE will contribute to achieving the exercise objectives by providing subject matter expert support in the CMDR area and by organizing distributed point for White cell.
- In 11-13 February 2014 the Civil-Military Interaction: Disaster Preparedness and Response Workshop will take place in Sofia. The workshop is sponsored by the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria and the CMDR COE. The workshop comprises lectures dedicated to NATO and EU Crisis Management, role of military in civil security, risk management, as well as discussions and tabletop exercise.
The CMDR COE organised an internal seminar which was held on 20.12.2013. The main focus of the seminar was the crisis in Syria. The CMDR COE experts discussed issued related to the chronology of the crisis; the increased influx of refugees to neighbouring countries and Bulgaria; the positions of NATO, the UN and EU; the involvement of international humanitarian organisations etc.
» read moreOn 11-12 December 2013, the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE) co-hosted together with US European Command (USEUCOM) and the US embassy in Bulgaria the workshop Visualizing Implications of Climate Change on Military Activities and Relationships. The opening remarks were given by the Deputy Minister of Defence of Bulgaria, Mr. Ivan Ivanov, who welcomed the participants and underlined the importance of the topics that the workshop focused on.
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