Key Exercise

MILEX 24 is a key exercise as the EU moves towards the EU’s Rapid Deployment Capacity (RDC) which is a significant instrument that will increase the EU’s ability to act rapidly and robustly in response to crises by mobilising the necessary Member States’ capabilities in a coordinated manner. A key deliverable of the EU’s implementation of the Strategic Compass is a fully operational EU RDC and MPCC by 2025.

EU Partner Countries and Organisations

On Tuesday 30 April, the Deputy Director and Chief of Staff of the MPCC, Major General Werner Albl, hosted the ‘MILEX 24 Observer Day’ which was attended by military and civilian personnel from EU Partner Nations and Partner Organisations such as NATO, UN, AU and other international organisations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the European Centre for Disaster Medicine (CEMEC).

EUMS

Col Ray Murphy MPCC briefs the attendees at the MILEX 24 Observer Day

Observer Day Outline

The MILEX 24 Observer Day commenced with a welcome address from Major General Albl. This was followed by a general overview of the MILEX 24 outline and scenario by the Exercise Training and Analysis Branch of the EU Military Staff (EUMS). The EEAS Peace, Partnerships and Crisis Management Directorate (PCM) then provided a detailed overview of the EUs Integrated Approach and Crisis Management Procedures.

Members of the MPCC then presented an outline of the planning process and support procedures utilised during the exercise. To conclude, Major General Albl convened the MPCC staff who provided a real time ‘Exercise” Situational Update, before opening the floor to questions from the attendees.

Look forward

With the conclusion of the MILEX 24 Observer Day, and Part 1 of the exercise nearing completion, we now look forward to the EU RDC Live Exercise (EU RDC LIVEX), which will be conducted in Bergen, Germany, between 26 November and 10 December 2024. The EU RDC LIVEX will focus on the execution of the Operations Plan (OPLAN) developed during this Crisis Response Planning phase.

EUMS

Major General Peter Wanner, Military Representative of Switzerland to NATO and the EU with Major General Werner Albl, Deputy Director and Chief of Staff of the MPCC, at the MILEX 24 Observer Day