May 19 2023

ACO, EUCOM Commanders gather to discuss the new era of collective defence

Mons, Belgium – On May 16-17, Commanders from Allied Command Operations (ACO) and United States Europe Command (USEUCOM), Command Senior Enlisted Leaders (CSELs) and staff gathered to discuss the Alliance’s key priorities and challenges ahead of the Vilnius Summit at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE)

The SACEUR Combined Component Commander's Conference focused on the Concept for Deterrence and Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area (DDA) implementation, defense plans, Command and Control (C2), Joint Enablement, and Network Integration.

DDA is a military concept that outlines “How” the Alliance operates in peace, crisis, and war to provide for collective defence. The plans will drive ACO’s military structure, our operations, our activities, and our investments into the future, including changes in ACO’s command and control structures.

General Cavoli recently said:

The community inside Allied Command Operations has worked diligently over the past several months to develop sound objective defensive plans, and we are on track. We are rapidly increasing the readiness and enablement of our forces, and we are making sure that they are ready to face current as well as future threats

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg participated on the second day of the conference, providing insights on the road to Vilnius, expected outcomes, and the important role the military play in the Alliance.

Mr. Stoltenberg added:

In an era of strategic competition, NATO has reoriented from out-of-area operations to collective defence. We must integrate and coordinate as much as possible to address immediate and long-term challenges ahead of the Vilnius Summit this July