NATO nations and partners exercise Crisis Operations and Planning

Exercise Steadfast Pinnacle 2018 participants and facilitators attend a brief at the National Defence Academy of Latvia. Steadfast Pyramid and Steadfast Pinnacle are annual NATO exercises that aim to prepare senior military officers to better support their commanders across the full spectrum of NATO military missions. (NATO photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Brett Dodge)

RIGA, Latvia –Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) conducted exercises Steadfast Pyramid and Pinnacle 2018 in Riga, Latvia September 10 to 21, 2018 bringing together NATO's newly appointed senior personnel and selected staff in order to enhance their analytical, planning and decision-making skills.

The purpose of these exercises is to prepare senior commanders and their staffs to lead during the planning, preparation and conduct of current and future operations. Steadfast Pyramid focuses primarily on training senior staff officers, whereas Steadfast Pinnacle is geared towards higher-level commanders. The training emphasises NATO's goal to strengthen partnerships and showcase participating nation's abilities to adapt during real-world crises involving simulated military and political threats.

"Exercises Steadfast Pyramid and Pinnacle aim to first inform and educate senior commanders and staff officers on the challenges we face today," said Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR) General Sir James Everard, who oversaw the scheduling of the exercises. "They also allow - second - participants to refresh their thinking in terms of operational design, planning and decision making."

This year, 58 participants from NATO and over 15 partner nations joined the exercises. While the political, economic, civil and military conditions were fictional, trainees were asked to respond to various scenarios and real-world issues of NATO interest.

Exercises Steadfast Pyramid and Pinnacle have occurred annually since 1995. SHAPE has adapted the scenario to address the evolving nature of threats and potential attacks against NATO in order to better build security. This is the fifteenth time Latvia has hosted the ever-growing exercise.

Story by SHAPE Public Affairs Office