Mar 25 2021

Chairman Military Intelligence Committee: “NATO Strategic assets such as AGS are of superior importance”

SIGONELLA, Italy - On March 24, 2021, the Chairperson of NATO’s Military Intelligence Committee, Croatian Army Major General Ivica Kinder visited the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance Force (NAGSF) Main Operating Base in Sigonella, Italy.

General Kinder and his delegation met with the NAGSF Commander, Brigadier General Houston Cantwell and his team. During mission and capability briefings, he received first-hand impressions of the AGS system’s mission and capabilities that immediately support the NATO MIC with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) products.

AGS is the utmost integral ISR collection capacity of the Alliance today

“We are pleased to showcase NAGSF development to such an important leader of the NATO Intelligence Community,” said General Cantwell. “We remain busy with current operations as well as development of future capabilities. These personal interactions with senior leaders ensure they’re aware of our challenges and successes, and that future development stays aligned with NATO priorities,” he added.

The tour of the NAGSF facilities and a visit to the hangar with the heart of the Force - the RQ-4D unmanned aircraft - provided the visitors with an update of operational activities at the Main Operating Base in Sigonella.

"At this important moment for NAGSF, I wish to congratulate General Cantwell and his team on achieving an Initial Operational Capability and making great strides in

evolving and expanding their support to Alliance decision-makers,” said General Kinder. “The AGS is the utmost integral ISR collection capacity of the Alliance today, and its integration in the Force structure warrants its regular inclusion in the agenda of the MIC conferences, which are regularly briefed by NATO’s strategic intelligence bodies,” he added. As the current MIC chairperson, General Kinder is personally and officially interested in visiting NAGSF

“The strategic political-military decision making process relies heavily on inputs from various intelligence providers among which the Strategic ISR assets such is the AGS are of superior importance. We need to find out how to support this capacity even better, and in parallel, to learn in which domains the Alliance and Nations can further benefit from this powerful capability,” said General Kinder. “This capacity brings the Alliance Indications and Warnings process to a whole different level and it immensely supports the SACEUR’s 360 degrees approach,” he concluded.

The Military Intelligence Committee (MIC) is the Alliance’s strategic governance body for all intelligence matters. It directly supports the Military Committee on all matters of Military Intelligence ensuring that proper and timely advice is given on issues that pertain to all aspects of military intelligence.

Story by Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office

Brigadier General Houston Cantwell, NAGSF Commander (left), welcomes Lieutenant General Siniša Jurkovic, Chief of Defence of the Croatian Armed Forces (centre) and Major General Ivica Kinder, Chairperson of the NATO Military Intelligence Committee (right) to a visit at the NAGSF Main Operating Base at Sigonella Air Base, Italy. Photo by Dion Houston.

Generals Jurkovic (left) and Kinder (second from right) are getting a close-up look at the NAGSF RQ-4D unmanned aerial vehicle. Photo by Dion Houston.

Members of the NAGSF team briefing Generals Jurkovic (left) and Kinder (second from left) on capabilities and features of the NAGSF RQ-4D unmanned aerial vehicle. Photo by Dion Houston.