Compact Eagle 2015

The annual exercise conducted by the Multinational Corps Northeast (MNCNE) is based on a scenario of collective defence operation within the frame of NATO’s Article 5. The training audience of the exercise – which had a close to one-year planning phase – includes, from the Hungarian Defence Forces, the command group and staff of the HDF 25th “Klapka György" Infantry Brigade and its subordinate staff elements. The objective of the exercise is to enable the participating units – including the Hungarian brigade – to develop the commanders’ and staffs’ battle skills and cohesion while planning and directing high-intensity warfighting (HIW, consisting of defensive and offensive operations) as part of NATO forces in an multinational environment. Based on an earlier issued OPORD, without any real-world tactical troop movement, the tactical staffs of participating nations are cooperating to reach the end state of the scenario, i.e. the liberation of a fictitious NATO member state invaded by a foreign army. The simulation is being directed by the HQ MNCNE, which expects all participants to come up with effective solutions and to cooperate and conduct coordinated operations.

The exercise started with preparing the leaders of the brigade’s functional cell, during which they received a comprehensive picture of the use of the command and reporting systems as well as the various personnel positions filled in the organization of the superior corps. In order to reach full operational capability, they got in touch with the functional representatives of the larger unit for a short time, and based on the set of injected events, they checked the operability of the reporting systems in each special area.

In the following days, during a “live execution" phase the command elements of the brigade had to continuously react to situations injected by the exercise directing staff (DISTAFF), while the subordinated units were executing their tasks as role-players in a simulated environment. The commander of the tactical operations centre (TOC) is responsible for directing the operational situation, keeping it within the relevant timeframe and specifying the planning directives based on the commander’s guidance. In case of unexpected events, acting on the available information, he uses his experience either to make a quick and proper decision to coordinate the fighting sub-units, or to provide input to the brigade commander’s decision-making process.

The exercise has key importance because its success supports the Hungarian Defence Forces’ efforts in NATO. Adapting to a changing security environment, Hungary’s role in NATO is becoming more important, therefore it is now indispensable to generate those capabilities that can ensure our place at the operational-tactical level of command of the land forces in the Alliance.