Steadfast Jackpot ended yesterday

Strasbourg (France), 10th May 2006

This exercise was the first where the Eurocorps was activated as Land Component Command of the NATO Response Force 7 (NRF7) and conducted by the Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFC-B) (The Netherlands). Aim of the exercise was to train, validate and certify the chain of command and the command and control elements dedicated to the NRF. It can be considered the decisive step for the certification of the full operational capability of the NRF force package for the stand-by period starting on 1st July 2006. To link Eurocorps within the NATO communications network, a Deployable Communications Module was installed in the direct vicinity of the exercise area, near the Strasbourg airfield in Entzheim. This module is part of the 1st NATO Signal Battalion. Moreover, national Command and Information Systems units were deployed to assure communications with the different nations. The exercise control was manned by personnel coming from JFC-B and from the NATO Allied Land Component Command Headquarters from Heidelberg (Germany).

Another important activity was ongoing at the same location during Steadfast Jackpot: the preparation for the next coming exercise Steadfast Jaguar. More than 100 containers were loaded with various material and then brought to the Cronenbourg railroad station to be transported to the seaports of La Rochelle and Toulon. They will be shipped to the Cape Verde Islands where the NRF-exercise Steadfast Jaguar will take place from 14th till 30th June.

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