Joint Event Held at New NATO Headquarters

In October, the Belgium Chapter and The Hague Chapter organized a joint event at the new NATO headquarters (HQ). The purpose of the event was to inform members on the latest communications and information systems (CIS) and cyber developments in NATO as well as offer an opportunity to visit the new facility. Some 60 participants attended the event from both neighbor chapters. Presentations by distinguished and expert speakers from Allied Command Operations (ACO) and NATO HQ addressed topics such as the NATO Command Structure, which requires an adaptation in order to engage successfully with many new challenges such as countering threats from cyberspace. Federated Mission Networking (FMN) was another important topic that was briefed, an initiative that aims to achieve a larger degree of CIS interoperability at the operational and tactical level. FMN will be incrementally developed, increasing its number of capabilities. The presentations provoked a number of questions. Afterwards, members visited the new headquarters. The iconic building was inaugurated in 2017 during the NATO Summit and became fully operational in 2018 after the move from the old NATO headquarters was completed. The new HQ is home to more than 4,000 personnel including NATO staff and national delegations, and on average has some 500 visitors a day to attend meetings and other activities.

Event Photographs: