Friday, Ministers of Defence from Estonia, Latvia and Denmark inaugurated Headquarters Multinational Division North, located at the Ādaži military camp, in Latvia. The purpose of Headquarters Multinational Division North is to enhance the defens capability of the region and connect the region’s forces with the Alliance’s highest Command Structure.
‘The creation of Headquarters Multinational Division North It is extremely important to us as it adds a military level of command to NATO’s force structure that is focused specifically on the defence of Estonia and Latvia,’ said Minster of Defence Jüri Luik, who noted that Denmark has always understood region´s security concerns, as during the Cold War it was itself one of NATO's border countries, the same way the Baltic Republics and Poland are today.
‘We share a great deal of common ground with Latvia as regards the defens capability of the region,’ said the Commander of the Defence Forces, Major General Martin Herem, emphasising the fact that following the restoration of independence, with the help of the cross-border defence plans being prepared together with the Latvians and Danes within the new Headquarters, it is possible to bring cooperation within our region to an entirely new level. ‘And this headquarters was intended to not only carry out training exercises, but must also, when necessary, direct actual defence activities within the region,’ Major General Herem added.
The main task of Multinational Division North (HQ MND N) will be to command military operations within its area of responsibility. To do so, the Division Headquarters, will begin to plan and command military operations, plan and integrate the activity of NATO units deployed for the purpose of reinforcing regional security, as well as organising training at the headquarters level in accordance with national and NATO defence plans. The headquarters will achieve initial operability in the first half of 2019, and full operability within a few years.
The goal of establishing the headquarters is to increase the defensive capability of the region and complete the construction of a logical military command structure, in which the Allied forces in the form of Brigades stationed in the region are, when necessary, subordinated to the command of the Division, which is in turn commanded by the Multinational Corps Northeast Headquarters in Szczecin, Poland.
The framework countries of Multinational Division North are Estonia, Latvia and Denmark. During peacetime, elements of the Division’s headquarters will mainly be located in Ādaži, Latvia, as well as in Karup, Denmark. Estonia will contribute at least 15 service members to the activities of the headquarters.
Photos: https://pildid.mil.ee/index.php?/category/59267
