Introduction
The modern battlefield dynamics are changing as much and as rapidly as the requirements of the forces operating in it. Thus, the training and exercises required to ensure the operational readiness of forces demands continuous and timely adaptation.
The Multinational Joint Warfare Centre (MJWC) was established on 20 March 2015 at the Atatürk Wargaming and Convention Centre (AWCC) building in İstanbul, Türkiye, with the vision of serving as a leading centre of warfare and the ambition to cope with the ever-changing requirements of the ever-evolving warfare domains.
Since the day of inauguration, MJWC not only assumed the responsibility to plan and execute national and multinational strategic and operational level exercises and war games for the Turkish Armed Forces, but also began to serve the Alliance with a wide set of skills and facilities.
Facilities
AWCC, home to MJWC, with an indoor area of approximately 35,000 square meters, has the capacity of hosting 3,000 pax at a time for various events and activities. The auditoriums, seminar halls, and foyers in the Convention Block serve as venues for seminars, panels, and conferences, as well as training and exercise activities. The Wargaming Block, on the other hand, provides a secure and spacious environment with its robust communication and information equipment for training and exercises at all levels of complexity.
As a special feature, the Wargaming and Seminar Halls are set up as modular halls in the compound’s centre and can be arranged in accordance with the requirements of the training audience.
Communications and Information Systems
Since 2003, various activities and exercise events have been held at the AWCC because of its enhanced Communications and Information Systems (CIS). The centre’s CIS infrastructure has been upgraded and modernized several times, the last being completed in September 2020. With this latest update, MJWC has acquired a new data centre with related hardware, software, licences, and video teleconference capability.
Along with the CIS modernization, the MJWC NATO General Communications System (NGCS) Connectivity Project was prepared and initiated together with the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA), which covers the provision of an NGCS Point of Presence (PoP) by NCIA at the site which enables MJWC to federate its NATO Secret (NS) and Mission Secret (MS) networks.
Consequently, with a national investment of around seven million euros, MJWC reached full operational capability (FOC) for its CIS capability on 21 November 2021, providing smooth services in four networks: NS, MS, Intranet, and Internet.
Training and Exercises
Since 2015, aided by a team of highly qualified personnel and a vast pool of experts, the MJWC has conducted combined, joint, national, and multinational training and exercises with national and international participation.
In 2023, MJWC plans to conduct two joint exercises, one joint wargame, combined/joint training activities and, at the same time, contribute to the planning processes of several NATO exercises.
Steadfast Jackal Exercise Series
Steadfast Jackal (STJA) series of exercises are annual joint Computer-Assisted Command Post Exercises (CAX/CPX) that are designed to train and certify the NATO Force Structure (NFS), Joint Task Force Headquarters (JTFHQ), NATO Response Force (NRF), and Joint Force Air Component (JFAC) in a Non-Article 5 Small Joint Operation scenario.
Up to now, NATO’s Joint Warfare Centre (JWC) has successfully assumed the role of Officer Directing the Exercise (ODE) for the STJA exercise series (previously named Steadfast Jaguar). NATO NFS entities have improved their abilities to operate successfully within a complex spectrum of challenges and dilemmas during these exercises delivered by the JWC.
Due to the growing commitments to support MJO+ exercises, from 2021 onwards, JWC could not continue to fulfil the ODE function for the STJA exercise series. To close the resultant gap, Türkiye stepped up to the challenge and bid for MJWC to take on the ODE role for the STJA exercise series starting in 2021 for a minimum of five years. On 23 January 2019, SHAPE accepted the offer. Subsequent developments led to rescheduling the ODE role take over starting from 2024.
Since then, following an extended period of preparation, national sources were allocated for MJWC to fulfil all its responsibilities as per its commitments. In the meantime, JWC and MJWC have prepared the handover-takeover plan to be executed when authorized.
MJWC, having already reached FOC in all domains for the ODE role takeover, is supporting JWC in all exercise planning process (EPP) related activities for the 2021, 2022, and 2023 STJA exercise iterations.
STJA22 Exercise
STJA22 EXCON (Exercise Control) training and Execution Phase (phase IIIB) were conducted from 17 November to 1 December 2022 at the JWC, in Stavanger, Norway. Out of the 1000 participating personnel from 25 nations, 24 MJWC personnel supported the execution phase filling EXCON posts in the CAX team, advisory teams, media, operation centre, scenario team, and CIS. In addition, four personnel from the Turkish Air Force Command (Turkish JFAC) participated in the air response cell.
EFES 2022 Exercise
Exercise EFES is the largest combined/joint command post and live exercise for the Turkish Armed Forces. This exercise is conducted in even years as a multinational exercise with COM MJWC assuming the ODE role, whereas the Exercise Director (EXDIR) role is assumed by COM NATO Rapid Deployable Corps-Türkiye.
The EFES22 planning activities were conducted at the MJWC and the Aegean Army Headquarters in İzmir; the execution phase was conducted in DISKO-HIT (It is an acronym for the venue for CPX-CAX exercises run by NATO LANDCOM) and Naldöken, İzmir, from 12 to 18 May 2022 with the participation of 29 countries (10 of them being NATO members).
Modelling and Simulation
In an endless game of change and on a battlefield with fluctuating requirements, quick adaptation of forces to the theatre of operations and rapid decision-making by key leaders is crucial. Yet, maintaining the operational readiness of forces required to cope with such a complex environment is a difficult and costly objective, if even achievable. This is partly what makes modelling and simulation an inevitable part of computer-assisted exercises.
As a matter of fact, defining the conditions of the battlespace in the simulation software and setting up the database also require extensive work to cover the entire exercise planning processes, yet these are cost-effective and easily adaptable to changes.
Modelling and simulation software, currently Joint Theatre Level Simulation (JTLS) and Joint Conflict and Tactical Simulation (JCATS), have been used in CAXs conducted at MJWC as early as 1998.
The exercise planning team, along with a team of subject matter experts and the CAX Support Branch members, is continually perfecting the simulated battlefield to reflect the most realistic scenarios to the benefit of the training audience. Currently, the CAX support for the EFES23 exercise has been finalized, and ready for the execution phase.
Apart from the CAX support to exercises, preparations for other usage areas of the simulation software, such as simulation-based acquisition and testing, are also underway in close coordination with government organizations.
Other Events and Activities
Although the MJWC Programme of Work is quite packed with exercise support activities, there is still room and opportunity to provide support for the Alliance. For instance, in 2022, MJWC hosted quite a number of NATO EPP events like the MPC for STJA22 and Loyal Leda 22 and conducted the National Defence University Wargame.
Moreover, it hosted, conducted, and supported a host of NATO courses, meetings, and conferences. To name a few: APP-28 & OPSA course, ACO CREVAL course, Land Corps Commander Conference (LC3), Crisis Management Exercise 23 (CMX23) Final Coordination Conference, Land Interoperability Standardization Working Group (LISWG), Combined Training Conference 2022 (CTC22), Military Planning Board-III (MPB-III), Exercise Budget Users Group Meeting (EBUG), Federated Mission Networking Operational Coordination Workshop (FMN OC WG). Among these, the APP-28 Course stands out since a training gap to provide APP-28 courses within NATO could be fixed by MJWC. In 2022, a total of 70 events were hosted by MJWC and received some high-ranking visitors from SHAPE and ACT.
In 2023 MJWC is hosting the Comprehensive Operations Planning Course (COPC), run by the NATO School Mobile Training Team to the benefit of NRDC-T. Additionally, MJWC plans to host the NATO Military Support Workshop, Marine Operations Working Group Meeting, ACO Financial Controllers Conference, NATO Combined Training Conference 23/2, and the execution phase of the NATO Steadfast Jupiter exercise.
Afterword
As we advance in an ever-changing era for the warfare domains, the training and exercise requirements of nations and the Alliance are prone to ascend. MJWC has been leading and hosting combined and joint trainings and exercises since the day of its inauguration with the high aspiration to secure and even increase operational readiness for the Turkish Armed Forces and the Alliance.
MJWC, as an efficient and prominent centre, is a valuable asset for allies and partners’ shared interests. We are willing to contribute to NATO’s readiness and reiterate our commitment to assume the ODE role in future NATO exercises.
