Noble Ardent 08 is a live (LIVEX) Air Component Command exercise which is in line with the preparation to the takeover of NRF 12 rotation, during which the French JFAC will take the command of the air component (ACC). In this context, an evaluation team has been committed to the exercise in order to assess the ACC capability to exert its role in a NATO type operation.

This evaluation team is composed of 7 senior officers from CDAOA and CASPOA. As members of the EXCON, five of them were deployed to Solenzara Air Force Base, while two others have been visiting the different DOBs. This team reflects through its members, all the expertise required in a command and control structure familiar with air operations.

The wide-ranging remit of this team is as follows :

- make sure that the allotted resources in personnel, infrastructure and communication and information systems are adapted to the mission of the ACC, which must be capable of planning and tasking 200 sorties per day.

- assess the ACC operational capability. All the activities such as planning, tasking, forces employment, conduct of operations during offensive and defensive phases, the follow-up in real time of operations, intelligence, logistics, influence operations, media management.. all these topics are covered.

- make sure that NATO security procedures are complied with.

This assessment is in line with the new ACC structure. The former ACC structure used to include a A1 to A9 structure, each cell corresponding to a domain of competence. These cells have disappeared and been replaced by divisions more functional that gather main themes such as strategy, planning, tasking and conduct of operations, fusion of intelligence, force support (personnel, CIS, logistics, finance) and a division called “non-kinetic” in support of the operations environment.

This new structure contributes to a better synergy of expertise, cultures, actions and decision process. This implies that relevant flow and release of information is crucial. Hence, particular focus of the evaluation team will be on communication assets availability and on the use of both national and NATO systems (ICC, FAST, SEW, SAS, SIA, TDS, WISE and JCHAT). On the DOBs, communication systems, precious links between the ACC and the operational units, through which orders are sent and received (ATO) and mission reports released, will be particularly controlled.

Some drawbacks may emerge from this reshuffled structure and new way of operating, and readjustments may become necessary. This is the reason why, in real time, the evaluation team recommends actions to be performed in order to enhance the ACC capability.

At the end of the exercise, a final report will be addressed to COMJFACC (COMDAOA), and to the Joint Force Commander, Exercise Director, OPD Lisbon (OTAN).

Beside the new structure validation including its new way of operating, this report will entail recommendations for the NRF 12 command exercise.

The next stage to NRF certification, that is during the CPX/CAX exercise Steadfast Joiner 08 will take place in November 2008.

Colonel Gilles SCHAEFFER

EXCON CHIEF DIREVAL

GLOSSARY

DOB : Deployable operating base

ICC : Integrated Command and Control system

SAS : data sharing system

SEW: Shared Early Warning

SIA : system that enables Recognised Air Picture visualisation

TDS : software that enables theatre tactical overview (by displaying at the same time, the air picture, intelligence data or ATO and ACO)

The Exercise Control team, alias EXCON, is in charge of the exercise animation. Relying on a scenario elaborated in advance, the EXCON structure is there to enable JFACC training in a crisis environment as realistic as possible.

To this end, Colonel BEGUIN has at his disposal a team composed of 93 personnel, including no less than 13 nationalities (Germany, Spain, the US, France, the United Kingdom, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey, Portugal) each of them contributing their own expertise.

“How does this structure work?”

Don't panic, under those strange words there's a simple structure. Try to imagine a film director who has to bring a scenario into life, through actors and assets, not to mention the setting.

Actually, the EXCON is the film director and the actors, the JFACC members. To direct, or let's say, train those actors, the EXCON needs the support of different cells that can be gathered under two main domains : one in charge of the scenario environment, the other of its implementation.

The cells in charge of the scenario animation, have to create a certain number of events, that is the Main Event List (MEL) and additional inputs to those events, that is the Main Incident List (MIL), commonly known as MEL MIL.

Even though the scenario was written long before the beginning of the exercise, the “film director” or EXON, has to face every day life hazards (weather conditions, actors' unexpected reaction, technical incidents, etc...). Therefore he has to adapt to changes all along the exercise. The coordination between the different MEL MIL cells has to be managed and coordinated and this task is fulfilled by the SITCEN CHIEF. The latter acts as a conductor. He guides the MEL MIL cells toward a consistent and realistic implementation of the air campaign with all the constraints it entails and with the assistance and guiding of the HICON, the LOCON, SITFOR and WHITE CELL.

SITFOR (Situation of Forces) represents the adversary forces or opponents.

HICON (High Control) is the interface between the political, strategic levels (CJTF, SACEUR ..) and LOCON injects events and inputs that have a direct impact on the air campaign. For example, it can inject a bomb alert on a DOB or else invent some pilot bail out in the adversary area, which could start a Combat, Search And Rescue (CSAR) mission.

The White cell is rather in charge of the “civilian” environment. It creates events related to public relations, both national and international, to Non Governmental agencies (NGO...) or to Civil Military cooperation agencies (CIMIC).

In order to facilitate the management and the release of all these events and incidents, EXCON is equipped with a specific software called JEMM (Joint Exercise Management Module).

Flight safety

NAT08 is a LIVEX exercise during which around 200 sorties are performed each day. Therefore a “Flight safety cell” has been set up within the EXCON to deal with “deconfliction”. Indeed, it is paramount to coordinate the military flights with the civil aviation and to establish prior to the exercise, restricted areas and scheduled flight windows.

Colonel BEGUIN pointed out that the EXCON role was not in any way to evaluate the JFACC capability to perform his task but rather to train his staff, his units in the most realistic environment .