First NFIU Training and Exercises Conference Ends in Budapest

Szöveg: Maj. Gyula Harnócz | 2016. szeptember 20. 9:00

The first-ever two-day international NATO Force Integration Unit (NFIU) Training and Exercises Conference ended in Budapest on Wednesday, 14 September. During the event, Hungarian and foreign training specialists and exercise planners discussed the NFIU training concept, together with current and future NATO exercise-related topics and lessons learned from the NFIU validation exercises.

The event organized by the NFIU Hungary took place in Hotel Hadik, Budapest and was attended by participants from all NFIUs of NATO member countries (Bulgaria, representatives from NATO Multinational Command Northeast (MNC NE) as well as from Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum, from the Hungarian Defence Forces Augmentation, Preparation and Training Command and the HDF Logistic Center.

Chief exercise planner of NFIU Hungary, Major Sándor Szabó, who organized the conference, identified its significance as being the first such event for these specialists to meet in person and to discuss those NATO exercise topics that are closely connected to NFIUs in an open forum.

“From the Hungarian viewpoint, this conference was very important, since our NFIU will play a very active role next May during exercise Precise Reception 2017, which at the same time will be our validation exercise as well. For this very reason I am so glad that the NFIU Hungary could organize and conduct this event for the first time, and that we were able to gather first-hand information about the lessons learned of the Baltic NFIUs’ validation exercises already conducted" – said Major Szabó.

Participants received a comprehensive picture about the current and future status of individual and collective training of the NFIUs, NATO requirements and main aims of these events and also had the opportunity to share their experiences gained during validation exercises conducted by already validated NFIUs.

The Training and Exercise Directive issued annually by MNC NE regulates NFIU participation at NATO exercises. These training events are primarily aimed at practicing the core functions of the NFIUs and at reach the set training objectives of the different functional areas. The Hungarian NFIU has been involved in eight international exercises this year. In 2017, this number is expected to increase to more than 10, where the personnel of the Hungarian unit will be participating as training audience.

Upon the closure of the event, Commander of NFIU Hungary, Colonel László Garas described the two-day conference as a successful forum in more than one respect. First of all, the HUN party was able to gather the most relevant lessons learned regarding the validation exercises of other NFIUs that already completed this process. Hopefully these lessons will be successfully implemented during NFIU Hungary’s own validation exercise next year. The participation of the Hungarian Defence Forces Augmentation, Preparation and Training Command and the HDF Logistic Center at the conference has also been crucial since the future cooperation between these organizations and the NFIU requires a close relationship through dialogue and the conference has just served as a good starting point in that as well.