MONS, Belgium – NATO-Georgia Exercise 2022, which comprises participants from Georgia as well as Allied and Partner nations, concluded at the NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Centre (JTEC) near Tbilisi, Georgia on Friday, Mar. 25, 2022.
The exercise's focus was not only on the interoperability of participating forces, but also on Georgia's command and control capabilities. Furthermore, participants tested the ability to adopt a comprehensive approach to a non-article 5 crisis response, involving civil-military cooperation with international and non-governmental organisations.
This NATO-Georgia exercise 22 constituted an excellent opportunity for NATO Allies and partner nations to share experience, skills and know-how
"NATO-Georgia 22 exercise was an important exercise for Georgia and a significant milestone in strengthening NATO-Georgia practical and military cooperation," said Rear Admiral Bülent Turan, SHAPE Deputy Chief of Staff - Partnerships Directorate.
This was the third NATO-Georgia exercise to take place under the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package (SNGP) framework. SNGP is NATO's largest Defence and Related Security Capacity Building package, and this demonstrates the importance placed by the Alliance on NATO-Georgia partnership.
NATO-Georgia Exercise 2022, which comprises participants from Georgia as well as Allied and Partner nations, concluded at the NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Centre near Tbilisi, Georgia on Friday, Mar. 25, 2020 - Photo by the Georgian Defence Forces
SNGP includes a series of Defence Capacity Building measures, agreed between Georgia and NATO at the Wales Summit in 2014, expanded at the NATO Warsaw Summit in 2016 and refreshed in late 2020.
The first NATO-Georgia exercise was conducted in 2016 involving NATO Allies and Partner Nations. NATO-Georgia 22 is the third iteration (after 2016 and 2019), but the first time SHAPE sponsored and scheduled the exercise with SACEUR acting as the Officer of Scheduling the Exercise.
"The NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Centre is one of the several interrelated initiatives under the SNGP. Importantly, the JTEC is playing an essential role in the planning and execution of this exercise," added Rear Admiral Turan.
Key roles of the JTEC are to enhance interoperability and participation in international missions, and facilitate exercise management. Today, JTEC also responds to the training and readiness needs of partner countries, enabling Georgia to contribute to stability in the region and beyond.
"This NATO-Georgia exercise 22 constituted an excellent opportunity for NATO Allies and partner nations to share experience, skills and know-how with Georgian Defence Forces," concluded Turan.
The exercise involved over 20 Allied and Partner nations.