CJ3/5 MNCG: FROM PLANNING TO OPERATIONAL EMPLOYMENT OF THE CIMIC FUNCTION

The CJ3/5 Branch is responsible for the preparation, planning and execution of the deployment of the Command and its assets, ensuring coherence of the CIMIC function across the full operational spectrum and readiness for employment within the Alliance. Embedded within a deployable Command, CJ3/5 operates in a context where planning, training and execution form a continuous and integrated process.

Within this framework, the Branch plans and conducts annual training and exercise activities aimed at maintaining MNCG operational standards and continuously adapting readiness levels in line with the evolving strategic environment and Alliance requirements.

During the year, two workshop sessions entitled *“CIMIC Concept in Support of Regional Plans”* were conducted, focusing on the contribution of CIMIC assets to NATO Article 5 warfighting operations. Activities centred on the integration of the CIMIC function within the DDA (Deterrence and Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area) family of plans, with particular reference to NATO Regional Plans, and on planning processes ensuring coherence between civil and military dimensions in Collective Defence contexts.

In parallel, CJ3/5 initiated an innovative pilot training event, the *CIMIC Training Hub*, dedicated to the roles and responsibilities of tactical-level CIMIC assets in conflict scenarios. This initiative enabled the translation of doctrinal concepts into operational procedures and decision-making processes, validating their applicability in a warfighting-oriented training environment.

During the same period, the Branch supported operational planning activities for Joint Force Command Norfolk, one of NATO’s three operational-level commands, contributing to the integration of the CIMIC perspective into higher-level planning processes in response to realistic scenarios and concrete operational requirements.

Participation in Exercise *Steadfast Duel 25* formed part of Alliance efforts to validate the ability to operate in multi-dimensional and multi-domain environments within a warfighting scenario, allowing the employment of the CIMIC function to be tested in a complex, high-intensity context.

Throughout the year, CJ3/5 also participated in workshops, conferences and seminars dedicated to CIMIC doctrinal development and initiated the development of a new NATO CIMIC tactical-level publication, intended to complement and adapt operational-level doctrine based on lessons identified through training and operational employment.

The multinational dimension was further strengthened through participation in the CIMIC Unit Commanders’ Conference, the Alliance’s key forum for NATO CIMIC unit commanders, as well as through bilateral training and exercise activities with Allied Nations, including NATRIX 25 in Latvia and JOCO 25 in Germany.

Training and exercise activities were finally integrated with the MNCG exercise *Adaptive Interaction*, aimed at validating tactical-level CIMIC components within a warfighting operation, contributing to the verification of processes, procedures and interoperability.

As highlighted by the Head of the CJ3/5 Branch:

“The priority for the future is to continue reducing the gap between concept and operational employment. The CIMIC function must be planned, trained and validated in the same environment in which it will be employed. The added value of the MNCG lies in its ability to transform doctrine and planning into verifiable operational procedures, while maintaining a high level of readiness.”

In this perspective, the MNCG Commander underlines:

“The MNCG represents a unique model within the Alliance, as it integrates conceptual development, training and operational employment within a single deployable Command. CIMIC concepts are not only developed, but tested, validated and applied in realistic scenarios, ensuring coherence between planning and operational action.”

Taken together, CJ3/5 activities outline a model in which the CIMIC function is prepared, integrated and made immediately available for operational employment, fully aligned with the present and future requirements of the North Atlantic Alliance.

Photo gallery