RAMSTEIN, Germany - From 2 to 8 June 2019, Exercise Adriatic Strike is underway in Slovenia. During the timeframe, NATO’s Deployable Air Command and Control Centre (DACCC), based at Poggio Renatico, Italy, is supporting the exercise with subject matter experts in air command and control. The mission of the DACCC personnel is to provide a mentoring vice functional role for other external participants.

The deployed exercise support team established a Divisional Joint Fires Support Element which operates above the Brigade Fires Support Team deployed to one of the training areas. After an initial proving period where the exercise messaging system and procedures were developed, the DACCC personnel oversaw the transition of responsibility to personnel from the US Colorado Air National Guard, a marine element from the Italian Direct Air Support Centre / Fire Support Coordination Centre and a representative from the Lithuanian Air Force. The Divisional Joint Fires Support Element manages requests for surface to surface fires beyond the capability of the Brigade and airspace clearance of these fires from aircraft tasked by the exercise Air Component Command.

"Through these small-scale exercices, it has been possible to develop some of the concepts which could be employed on a larger-scale in the future” says Squadron Leader Harrison, leader of the DACCC team. "The involvement of the Divisional-level Joint Fires Support Element meant that Joint Terminal Attack Controllers and their associated Brigade Fires Support Teams have a broader appreciation of the tasking and support processes and this helps to direct them away from an over-reliance on Air Power for effects. The need for coordination outside of traditional brigade airspace encourages dialogue, which improves understanding across both domains” he adds.

The basic exercise is designed to conduct the very tactical-level training needed to qualify and develop Joint Terminal Attack Controllers. The introduction of the higher level air command and control element was designed to help move the scenario away from small-scale, Counter-Insurgency operations and look to how cross-domain integration could be managed in a larger-scale conflict.

 

Story by Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office, based on information provided by Deployable Air Command and Control Centre.