Unmanned Systems in Mountain Warfare: Company Employment and Battalion Integration
The workshop will be conducted both in person and online.
In-person attendance is the preferred format to ensure full participation and interaction.
A connection link will be provided to registered online participants prior to the event.
Please indicate in your registration whether you will attend in person or online.
This event marks the continuation from last year Pilot Workshop second structured step in developing a coherent framework for integrating unmanned systems into battlefield and mountain units, with primary emphasis on Company-level employment, while ensuring vertical coherence up to Battalion level.
The workshop intent to bring together experienced military personnel from NATO mountain units who are already employing unmanned systems in experimentation, training, and operations. Selected civilian experts, including mountain Search and Rescue organisations and technical specialists, will provide targeted civilian UAS use expertise. Subject Matter Experts from other Units, Services and General Staff elements dealing with force planning, development and training will also be represented.
Focus Area
Battlefield Management and UAS System Integration (C2; Maneuver; Fire; Mobility; Intelligence; Survivability; Logistics)
Air Space Management in Complex Terrain
Tactical deconfliction in mountainous environments
Integration with fires, rotary-wing assets, and ISR platforms
Airspace coordination measures adapted to high-altitude operations
Safety, altitude layering, and operational control
Force Structure and Organisational Models (Placement of unmanned systems within Company and Battalion structures; tasking authority and command relationships)
Workshop Aim
Start with NATO Mountain Battalion and Mountain Brigade Capability Code’ and Capability Statements as minimum standard for interoperability. Collect national best practices and lessons identified. Compare different organisational models; Identify gaps in battlefield management as well as airspace management and structural integration; Establish a shared baseline for further development of Tactical Techniques and Procedures (TTPs)
The outputs of this workshop will directly support the structured development of a NATO-relevant framework for unmanned systems employment in mountain warfare. Krieg-spiel type Wargame will be used as tool for battlefield system integration.
Participation is primarily military-focused and limited to subject matter experts from mountain units or expert working on UAS integration. Nations are invited to contribute practical experience, current procedures, and lessons learned related to unmanned systems employment in complex terrain.
Organizer
Concept Development and Experimentation (CD&E) is a framework of thinking within developing and understanding Mountain Warfare and related capabilities. NATO Warfighting Capstone Concept and NATO Concept for Deterrence and Defense provides essential guidance on current and future character of competition and concept development, aligning with approved NATO policies and doctrine while incorporating best practices derived from contemporary wars and CD&E activities. The future operating environment analysis is to guide the future forces design, development and disruptive innovation of the future force. Though primarily focused on Alliance activities in the mountain warfare domain significant effort has been made to ensure the methodology’s applicability across a broad spectrum of mountain warfare stakeholders, enhancing interoperability and operational effectiveness in challenging terrain.
As one of the main missions of the NATO MW COE is to suggest improvements and propose amendments to existing doctrines, procedures and standards for subsequent endorsement by the Strategic Commands and/or NATO HQ, the Doctrine & Standardization Branch serves as a tool which analyses existing publications, seeks for incoherence and, when appropriate, provides proposals according to NATO Standardization Process. Based on Lessons Learned, primarily received from operations and exercises, the branch will develop new products, based on expressed needs within the Alliance.
E&T Branch collects existing Mountain Warfare knowledge, new training methodologies, latest publications and best Lessons Learned available to the Alliance, and uses them to develop MW E&T solutions, based on latest and developing NATO standards and publications, to ensure interoperability of multi-national forces operating in difficult mountainous environments.
