NATO COEs
Supreme
Allied
Commander
Transformation
An Introduction
To NATO
Centres of Excellence
Mr Tony Wedge,
COE Establishment SME,
Transformation Network Branch, HQ SACT
Jan 2013
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NATO COEs
COE History and MC-Guidance
14 May 03
MC 324/1 “The NATO Military Command Structure”
04 Dec 03
MCM-236-03 “MC Concept for COEs”
17 May 04
MC 58/1 “Terms of Reference for SACT”
11 Jun 04
IMSM-0416-04 “NATO COE Accreditation Criteria”
01 Jun 05
First COE endorsed by NAC (JAPCC)
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NATO COEs
Current COE Status
As of January 2013
1. Joint Air Power Competence Centre (JAPCC / DEU)
NATO Accredited
2. Defence Against Terrorism (DAT / TUR)
3. Naval Mine Warfare (NMW / BEL)
4. Combined Joint Operations from the Sea (CJOS / USA)
5. Civil Military Cooperation (CIMIC / NLD)
6. Cold Weather Operations (CWO / NOR)
7. Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear Defence COE (JCBRN / CZE)
8. Air Operations Analysis and Simulation Centre (CASPOA / FRA)
9. Command & Control COE (C2 / NLD)
10. Cooperative Cyber Defence COE (CCD / EST)
11. Operations in Confined and Shallow Waters COE (CSW / DEU)
12. Military Engineering COE (MILENG / DEU)
13. Military Medicine (MILMED / HUN)
14. Human Intelligence COE (HUMINT / ROU)
15. Counter – Improvised Explosive Devices COE (C-IED / ESP)
16. Explosive Ordnance Disposal COE (EOD / SVK)
17. Modelling and Simulation COE (M&S / ITA)
18.
Energy Security
COE/ (ENSEC
MOU Negotiations
1. Military
Police (MP
POL) / LTU)
2. Crisis Management for Disaster Relief (CMDR / BGR)
1. Mountain Warfare (MW / SVN)
Total: 21
Multi-Nationalized
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NATO COEs
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NATO COEs
What is a Centre of Excellence ?
MCM-236-04 - “A COE is :

A nationally or multi-nationally sponsored entity…

…which offers recognised expertise and experience…

…especially in support of transformation…

It provides opportunities to:

Enhance education and training

Assist in doctrine development

To test and validate concepts through experimentation…”

Support analysis and lessons learned processes
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NATO COEs
The pillars of COE support
Doctrine Develop
& Standards
CD & E
Analysis/LL
E&T
Support to NATO
At least Three pillars need to be covered to achieve NATO accreditation
Centre of Excellence
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NATO COEs
COE C2 arrangements:
• The COE is governed solely by the COE Steering
Committee. - A small number of Sponsoring Nations
that have the best interests of the individual COE in
mind. (Decisions are unanimous or by consensus)
• HQ SACT is responsible (on behalf of NATO) for
providing the NATO Requests for Support to COEs.
(Source MCM236-03 and individual COE MOUs)
• Sponsoring Nations can provide Requests for
Support directly to the COE .
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NATO COEs
COE Funding:
• Sponsoring and Contributing Nations fund the
COE activities.
• Cost share formula is agreed when COE is
established.
• Current costs between 6.9K and 27K Euro per
officer per year. (Contribution to operational
budget)
• No Cost to NATO = No Direct NATO Common
Funding.
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NATO COEs
COE Manning:
•Sponsoring Nations voluntarily man the COEs in
addition to their contribution to the NCS.
•Voluntary manning/participation of PfP and MD is
encouraged. (Contributing Nations)
•18 Accredited COEs with nearly 600 Subject Matter
Experts (SMEs). (789 total posts, 584 Posts Manned, 205 open)
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NATO COEs
COE Outreach:
• COES are encouraged to develop relationships
with NATO Agencies, NATO Schools, Non-NATO
Nations and external entities ( IO, GO, NGO,
industry and academia etc.).
• COES are a versatile “outreach tool” for NATO –
They should be integral parts of NATO WGs etc.
• COES are encouraged to work in “Communities
of Interest” (COI) with other COEs, partners etc.
• Partner involvement is encouraged
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NATO COEs
Support:
• A COE can provide support ANYONE, provided
the Steering Committee agrees.
• A COE can provide Support to Transformation
and Operations.
• Support to NATO is given priority by the Steering
Committee.
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NATO COEs
Sponsoring Nation (SN)
Framework Nation is also an SN
• To become an SN - YOU MUST:
•
•
•
•
Be a NATO Country
Send at least one person to the COE (full time)
Pay your share of the COE Budget (each year)
Send national representation to SC meetings
(NOT the Staff member)
• Be a participant to both MOUs
• See the benefit for your nation!
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NATO COEs
The name “NATO” in your COE
• A lot of the recent COEs are known as the NATO xxx
COE in the concepts and MOUs. This has the advantage
of a NAC decision to accredit and activate the centre
using NATO in it’s name.
• The disadvantage of this is that some international
organisations such as the EU, UN OCHA and Red Cross
may decline to do business with the centre.
• This is the reason why CIMIC COE does not use NATO in
it’s name, yet is widely recognised as a NATO body.
• The final choice to use NATO in your name or not rests
with you, the potential sponsoring nations.
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NATO COEs
Summary - A COE is….
• An independent International Military
Organisation, yet a NATO Body.
• NOT under the Command and control of either
NATO or the Framework Nation – They can be
“asked” NOT TASKED.
• Funded entirely by the Framework Nation and
other Sponsoring Nations.
• Supported by a Framework Nation.
• Coordinated by ACT for the benefit of NATO.
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NATO COEs
Questions
Tony Wedge, GBR NIC
NATO COE Establishment &
Accreditation SME
Office: +1 757 747 3553
Mobile: +1 757 842 0115
Email: wedge@act.nato.int
Web: https://transnet.act.nato.int/
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