Home  /  BALTIC AMBER Magazine  /  MULTINATIONAL CORPS NORTHEAST WITHIN NATO'S JOINT OPERATIONS CONCEPT IN THE BALTIC SEA REGION

Author: M. Holub

Unit: Multinational Corps Northeast

Rank: Captain

Unit: Multinational Corps Northeast

Joint operations in the modern era are the main pillar of contemporary warfare and are described as “activities, operations, organizations, etc. in which elements of two or more services participate to accomplish common operational objectives”. As the highest land component command at the northeastern flank of the Alliance, Headquarters Multinational Corps Northeast (HQ MNC NE) is the key actor for joint operations in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Since its establishment at Baltic Barracks in Szczecin, northwestern Poland, the procedures, ways of communication and integration between the naval, air and special operations forces (SOF) domains have evolved and improved over time. Our headquarters links up with other domains through multi-domain teams, the Fire Support and Air Coordination branch, the SOF cell and the Air Operations Coordination Centre (AOCC).

Erupting around the world, the recent conflicts – particularly the Russian-Ukrainian war – have reminded military audiences of an old truth: without proper integration between services casualties and the loss of military equipment may be much higher than expected. Many fallen soldiers, destroyed armoured vehicles and even the Russian flagship Moskva lying at the bottom of the Black Sea now are silent witnesses of the above. Hence, joint capabilities, especially air-land integration (ALI), are always on the radar of the NATO community, unsurprisingly at HQ MNC NE as well. There are many tactics, techniques and procedures in place in order to enable this integration. Moreover, HQ MNC NE periodically issues fragmentary orders to further refine said processes. However, no matter how advanced the procedures or how detailed the orders: you use them or lose them. Accordingly, HQ MNC NE and its main subordinated units direct, supervise or contribute to exercises taking place in the Baltic Sea Region in the land, air and maritime domains, Neptune Strike 2022 being one of the most notable examples.

US Marines landed on the Swedish island of Gotland during Exercise BALTOPS 22. An annual naval exercise that takes place in the Baltic Sea, this year's iteration features a high level of participation from the Sweden, which applied for NATO membership in May. Photos by nato

The exercise was “designed to demonstrate NATO's ability to integrate the high-end Maritime strike capabilities of an aircraft carrier strike group to support the deterrence and defence of the Alliance” as stated by the Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby. The USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group was placed under NATO’s operational control to promote the NATO Allies’ capacity to work together and integrate effectively. Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe coordinated the activity, integrating NATO Allied Maritime Command and NATO Allied Air Command, while Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) executed command and control of Neptune Strike 22 from USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), the U.S. Sixth Fleet and Commander STRIKFORNATO’s flagship.

What is remarkable about this exercise from HQ MNC NE’s point of view: our enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroups were able to ask for and receive air support for the Baltic States from a maritime unit. The eFP Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) from across various Allied nations had the opportunity to conduct close air support and ALI training missions with jet fighters taking off from a carrier stationed in the Mediterranean Sea. There are no other security alliances in the world which can accomplish such a task with this level of complexity, except NATO.

Important to add: a JTAC is the term used in the military for a qualified service member who directs the action of combat aircraft engaged in close air support and other offensive air operations from a forward position. In addition, they are also capable to call in army and naval artillery with just as much lethality as when they call down fires from the air. JTACs fill the tactical gap between ground manoeuvre forces and air force assets. All the more, keeping them trained and ready has significant importance.

Requesting air support is a multi-layered process. HQ MNC NE coordinates all air-related activities in our area of operations with the help and expertise of AOCC. At HQ MNC NE, an air support request (ASR) tool facilitates the whole ASR cycle, which starts at the battlegroup level, is refined, prioritized and approved at the brigade, division and MNC NE level and is finally forwarded to AIRCOM through AOCC. After the air portion of the planning is done and aircraft are allocated for support, aircrews and JTACs get in touch with each other, execute the mission and complete the cycle.

In order to keep aircrews, JTACs and ground units ready to fight, an ALI training is included into tactical-level exercises. In May 2022, the Lithuanian Army Iron Wolf Brigade participated in exercises Flaming Thunder and Iron Wolf, which both included an ALI and a CAS training. In June 2022, a little further to the south, eFP Battlegroup Poland conducted Noble Fires, also encompassing a CAS integration training aimed to increase the Battlegroup Joint Fires teams’ proficiency and accuracy.

Exercise Iron Wolf tested the ability of the Lithuanian Armyês Iron Wolf Brigade to carry out defensive operations and counter-attacks, together with Allied troops. The exercise involved more than 3,500 troops from nine NATO Allies, namely Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. Photos by nato

A crew member from the USS Harry S. Truman prepares the deck for the arrival of a jet. Truman Carrier Strike Group participates in Neptune Shield 22. Photos by nato

Considering the distinctive characteristics of the region in which MNC NE operates, it is important to remember about the smallest – in size, not importance – component of the Allied forces, i.e. special forces. In order to increase NATO’s combat effectiveness, MNC NE coordinates a number of activities, such as exercises, conferences, working meetings, with the commands of the special forces of Estonia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia. Since 2020, the Polish special operations forces have been playing a crucial role in this framework, based on the cooperation agreement between the Kraków-headquartered command and HQ MNC NE. The document cements the already existing defence and security partnership, including by enhancing mutual capabilities through joint training and knowledge development. Additionally, the agreement looks at ways of strengthening collaboration on operations planning and sharing of common situational awareness.

Joint operations thrive on human-to-human interaction and communication, and liaising is another instrument to integrate and communicate with other services and other NATO member states. HQ MNC NE has liaison officers and liaison teams deployed already in peacetime. During crisis and conflict, a more comprehensive liaison representation is planned. “Liaison” is a loan-word from French meaning “binding”. And that’s what our liaison officers and teams do – they bind components together and close the gaps by providing information flow back and forth. They are one of the essential requirements of a joint approach.

HQ MNC NE is the Regional Land Component Command for the Baltic Sea Region and owns an AOO that shares borders with states going through crisis and conflicts. Thus, it is vital that the Corps’ command has effective, comprehensive and executable procedures to operate in a joint environment successfully with properly trained troops to defend NATO’s northeastern frontiers. MNC NE has the will, the resources and the organization to fulfil its mission along with Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, other NATO member states and NATO component commands. The level of our training and exercises is as high as our level of ambition: sky high.