Strategic Hub soon to open at JFC Naples

Canadian Army Lieutenant-General Christian Juneau,  deputy commander of JFC Naples,  speaks about NSD-S Hub at his office Aug. 3,  2017. The NSD-S Hub is designed to focus on a variety of complex issues existing and emerging from southern regions. (Photo by German Air Force Master Sgt. Dennis Tappe)

MONS, Belgium – With the official opening of the NATO Strategic Direction South Hub a month away, the deputy commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Canadian Army Lieutenant-General Christian Juneau, is optimistic about the new centre’s future.

The NSD-S Hub, located at JFC Naples headquarters, is designed to focus on a variety of complex issues existing and emerging from southern regions such as the Middle East, North Africa and Sahel, sub-Saharan Africa and nearby areas, waters and airspace.

"The security environment in the whole area is extremely complex, and because it’s so important globally, especially to the NATO countries, there’s a lot of effort, activities and analysis that is going on, a lot of information that’s gathered,” Juneau said. "The Hub, at the end of the day, will be an enabler for unity of understanding and knowledge, and, hopefully, unity of action,” Juneau said.

Officials say another role of the Hub is to team up with personnel from various agencies outside of NATO and national military structures to synchronize, coordinate and enable. These include actors with a variety of backgrounds such as regional development and crisis handling experts, academics and non-governmental organizations.

The Hub’s aim is to focus on a variety of issues such as destabilization, migration, extremist organizations, trafficking, natural disasters and environmental pollution.

About 90 military and civilian personnel will man the centre when it opens September 5.

More articles about NATO Strategic Direction South Hub are available at www.jfnaples.nato.int.

Story by Allied Joint Force Command Naples Public Affairs Office