In November, the Nato Land Tactical Planning Course (NLTPC) was held for the second time at Swedint, the SwAF’s international centre. The two-week course is a collaboration between Swedint and Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (HQ ARRC), based in Gloucester, UK.
HQ ARRC is one of ten Nato corps’ staffs. In a war situation, each corps staff must be able to command three to five divisions with supporting units, some 100 000 - 150 000 soldiers. One of the participants on NLTPC was Brigadier General Rickard Johansson, chief of the first Swedish division.
Brigadier General Rickard Johansson.
Photo: Jan Gustafsson/Försvarsmakten
"Although Sweden is not yet a Nato member, it is important to start training now and learn about Nato's working methods."
Scenario-driven course
During ten intense days, the course participants learnt about understanding, building knowledge of and skills in managing larger unit formations and capabilities than what we in Sweden have been used to managing nationally over the past twenty years.
The course was carried out in a scenario that simulates a Nato corps attack on an equal opponent in north-eastern Europe. The course participants came from Sweden, Finland and various parts of Nato. The British ARRC Commander also participated and received the so-called decision brief from the students at the end of the course. The ARRC Commander shared his experiences during a discussion in the mess one evening.
"The Swedish participants received new tools to bring back to their division, to be used in their own planning of a brigade or a division staff," says Rickard Johansson.
The course is planned to be carried out twice a year. Next course is 10-21 July.