Home  /  Newsroom  /  News Archive  /  2021  /  STRIKFORNATO participates in exercise JOINT PROJECT OPTIC WINDMILL 2021

From 8 to 26 March, a delegation from STRIKFORNATO is working alongside dozens of other military units to execute the Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) exercise JOINT PROJECT OPTIC WINDMILL 2021 (JPOW21), which is spread across fifteen locations in Europe and the United States.

Eight countries and several international headquarters are taking part in the exercise, the coordination of which is taking place at the Vredepeel barracks in the Netherlands and at NATO Allied Air Command (AIRCOM) headquarters in Ramstein, Germany. The exercise demonstrates that NATO Member States can and will collaborate to defend themselves from space and air threats.

With JPOW we are showing that international cooperation can also be effective in temporary and changing formations, if professional and motivated parties take the initiative

The STRIKFORNATO delegation at AIRCOM is supporting the last phase of the exercise, which focuses on defending and restoring peace in Eastern Europe. STRIKFORNATO's staff officers plan, check and control the maritime contribution to NATO's IAMD posture, which is part of STRIKFORNATO's standing mission.

At AIRCOM the NATO IAMD planners work in a joint and combined environment. Army, Air Force and Naval personnel from different nations come together to plan how to defend NATO territory and protect NATO forces against air and missile threats.

At Vredepeel, the Netherlands offers Allied nations the opportunity to share knowledge, connect systems, and exercise international procedures for IAMD. "With JPOW we are showing that international cooperation can also be effective in temporary and changing formations, if professional and motivated parties take the initiative." according to the Netherlands Chief of Defence, Admiral Rob Bauer.