BAGHDAD – The Commander of NATO Mission Iraq (NMI) held the first Force Structure Planning Working Group on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021 at the Ministry of Defence M5 Planning Directorate in Baghdad.
Commander Lieutenant General Michael Lollesgaard assured the audience, of Iraqi planning officers, of NATO's strong commitment to working with the Ministry of Defence to continue the progress made in building a safe and secure Iraq.
This Defence Planning Process offers real world support to the Iraqi Armed Forces
"Our efforts together will make the Iraqi Security Forces better able to defend Iraq," said Lieutenant General Lollesgaard.
In attendance was the Iraqi Army Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, underscoring the collaborative relationship between NATO and the Iraqi Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The Commander of NATO Mission Iraq, Commander Lieutenant General Michael Lollesgaard, held the first Force Structure Planning Working Group on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021 at the Ministry of Defence M5 Planning Directorate in Baghdad - Photo by NATO Mission Iraq Public Affairs Office
The workshop, hosted by the Planning Directorate, focused on introducing Defence Planning as a tool for the MoD to use amongst military components and marked the initiation of an 18-month process that will deliver a comprehensive five-year plan, which is to include capability requirements and operational readiness gains.
"This Defence Planning Process offers real world support to the Iraqi Armed Forces. The objective of NATO's support is to use the Force Structure Planning Working Group to identify the future structure of the Iraqi Armed Forces and to introduce a Defence Planning Process to the Iraqi MoD," said Lieutenant General Lollesgaard.
The workshops will use the NATO Defence Planning Process, the cornerstone of NATO defence planning, to work with Iraqi counterparts on their long-term objectives to create a safe and secure Iraq. Each workshop has a duration of five days, with MoD representatives drawn from across planning departments.
Through our mission in Iraq, NATO is delivering advisory capacity and support to the Iraqi Ministry of Defence to assist in the development of a more sustainable and capable military.
Read this story in Arabic here.