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and delivers interoperability by design. Located in south Limburg, the
Netherlands, JFC Brunssum is one of NATO’s three operational level Headquarters; the others being JFC Naples (ITA) and
JFC Norfolk (USA). Although similar in structure, with traditional HQ Operations, Plans, and Support Directorates working
to a Command Group, the JFCs differ in their geographic areas of responsibility and assigned missions and tasks.
Regional Focus
JFC Brunssum is actively engaged with many Headquarters, whether they be
within NATO Command Structure, or
stood up by nations, Allies and partners alike. The regional focus for JFC Brunssum (Implementation Area North) embraces liaison with NATO member and non-member nations; International Organisations; Non- Governmental Organisations and a plethora of other security focussed stakeholders.
JFC Brunssum is tasked with coordinating deterrence activity across Northern Europe, the Baltic Sea, and the High North Regions; including all Advanced Planning and commanding the NATO Response
NFIUs aligned to JFC Brunssum and JFC Naples
Force. The headquarters also provides
out of theatre higher headquarters support to NATO’s Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. Thus, compared with other JFCs and NATO Command Structure entities, UK Defence has considerable equity in JFC Brunssum’s geographical
and operational focus. This requires strong networks to be maintained between JFC Brunssum, PJHQ, and MoD 4th Floor to ensure that UK and NATO defence planning and deterrence activities are appropriately coordinated and mutually supporting.
As part of NATO’s adaption in response to security challenges from the east and
the south, the Alliance has established eight Force Integration Units (NFIUs) to help facilitate the rapid deployment of forces
to the northern and eastern flanks of the Alliance. These small headquarters support collective defence planning and assist in coordinating training and exercises.
Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP)
Following the 2016 Warsaw summit, NATO enhanced its forward presence in North- Eastern Europe by deploying four multi- national battlegroups to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. These battlegroups (led by UK, Canada, Germany and the USA), and an enhanced maritime presence in the Black Sea, provide robust combat-ready forces that form part of NATO’s biggest reinforcement to collective defence in a generation.
Readiness
Maintaining and improving readiness is a key line of effort at JFC Brunssum. JFC Brunssum and JFC Naples are aligned by
a 2-year readiness mechanism to provide operational level C2, as a JTFHQ, for the NATO Response Force (NRF). The NRF continues to provide NATO’s primary response to emerging crises, disasters and other contingencies; as such, it is a key tool
Visit to RESOLUTE SUPPORT Mission – December 2019
that drives transformation. Following the Wales summit in 2014, the Allies agreed
to enhance the NRF, increasing its troop numbers from 20,000 to 40,000, as well as creating a Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) in order to quickly react to crisis situations. Contributions to the NRF rotate between different NATO countries each year, with the need for a number of lead or framework nations to stand up the force.
HQ JFC Brunssum is also adjusting to optimise the headquarters as a hub of joint expertise at the operational level - ready to innovate and adapt to change. Both JFCs have to be prepared to plan, conduct and sustain NATO operations of different size and scope. Effectively, they need to be able to manage a major joint operation either from their static location in Brunssum or Naples or from a deployed headquarters when operating directly in a
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