Why is this course important to you?

NATO doctrine uses a monitor-assess-plan-direct model for decision-making. NATO School Oberammergau (NSO) teaches the Comprehensive Operations Planning Course (COPC (S5-54)), the Combined Joint Operations Centre Course (CJOC (P3-53)) and NATO Operations Assessment Course (P5-128) but there is no course for the “direct” function to execute operations. Lessons identified from multiple TRIDENT and STEADFAST Exercises in the last decade have exposed these shortcomings; and the Comprehensive Operational Planning Directive (COPD), Conceptual Framework Allied Operations (CFAO), and Allied Joint Publication (AJP) 3 and AJP 5 provide only a limited explanation of the detailed process of synchronisation.

After Action Reviews (AAR) have specifically identified the challenges of integrating lethal and non-lethal effects; cross component coordination; catering for the inclusion of cyber and space operations as domains; lack of knowledge of the Joint Coordination Board (JCB) process; planning sufficiently far ahead and the linkages between J5 during planning with Joint Assessment and J35/J33/J3 transition for execution purposes. This performance gap is amplified in Article V, Major Joint Operations (MJO) and Maximum Level of Effort (MLE) scenarios where time, space, forces and effects need to be synchronised in order to create decision superiority and overwhelm an adversary, including the use of complementary non-military actions.

To close this gap, SWEDINT provides the Practitioner (OF3-5), and Senior (OF5-7 Joint Synchronisation Course (JSC) as online/residential blended learning activities to two distinct target audiences representing NATO Nations and selected NATO Partner Nations of Australia, Finland, New Zealand, and Sweden. To apply for either activity, view the latest course invitation and related material below; an early application is highly recommended as demand for the practitioner and senior JSC is consistently high.