Home  /  Newsroom  /  News  /  2023  /  Multinational Division North declares Full Operational Capability

SZCZECIN, Poland – On July 7, Major General Flemming Mathiasen, Commander Multinational Division North (MND N), formally announced the Division's Full Operational Capability (FOC). Held at the MND N Headquarters is Ādaži, Latvia, the event saw a great many governmental and military officials.

MG Mathiasen delivers his speech at the Full Operational Capability declaration ceremony in Ādaži, July 7 © Gatis Dieziņš

In his address Mathiasen stated: "The Headquarters is now fully operational which was a requirement to further develop the Division. The professionalism and work of all those serving here have contributed to the achievement that we celebrate today."

The attainment of Full Operational Capability enhances the NATO alliance, and our work is a clear testimony to that.

With FOC, the Division is fully capable of conducting its tasks across the assigned Area of Operations (i.e. Estonia and Latvia) as part of Multinational Corps Northeast (MNC NE) and the NATO Force Structure. The Division's headquarters role is to coordinate land military activities, including NATO's enhanced Forward Presence. In addition, it contributes to NATO's training and defense planning. 

Headquartered in Ādaži, Latvia, the Division's command comprises personnel from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, in addition to Denmark, Estonia and Latvia as the Division's framework nations. It was established in 2019, alongside the already existing Headquarters Multinational Division North East in Elbląg, Poland, in order to provide MNC NE with more robust command and control functions and greater situational awareness in the north of the Baltic Sea region. 

During the same event, a bilateral agreement was signed between the Ministry of Defence of Latvia and the Ministry of Defence of Denmark that reaffirms the further development of the Division.

The Latvian Minister of Defense Ināra Mūrniece (left) and the Danish Acting Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen (right) sign the agreement concerning the further development of MND N, Ādaži, July 7 © Gatis Dieziņš

Multinational soldiers with HQ MND N line up during the Full Operational Capability declaration ceremony in Ādaži, July 7 © Gatis Dieziņš